





































































































































































































































































































































































































































































Class 

Book 


Va/2, 


•ST 


Copyright N?. 


COEflUGHT DEPOSIT. 













NAVAL TERMS AND DEFINITIONS 


A vocabulary in use for the in¬ 
struction of midshipmen at the 
United States Naval Academy 


By 

COMMANDER C. C. SOULE, U. S. N. 



NEW YORK 

D. VAN NOSTRAND COMPANY 

PUBLISHERS OF MILITARY AND NAVAL BOOKS 

EIGHT WARREN STREET 
19 22 











\ I %'1 

• SI 


Copyright, 1922, by 
D. VAN NOSTRAND COMPANY 


Cl A602658 


PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 


DEC 30 ’22 



PREFACE 


This little book has been prepared especially for the use of Mid¬ 
shipmen at the Naval Academy in the belief that the language of the 
sea is threatened with extinction through disuse and misuse, and that 
it is in the early days of his training that a Naval Officer should 
acquire a nautical vocabulary, so that it will be second nature for 
him to give his orders properly and correctly. 

The author lays no claim to originality in this work, but has 
endeavored to include modern nautical terms, eliminating practically 
all terms applied to square-rigged sailing vessels, and confining the 
terms to Seamanship and to general terms in those subjects closely 
related thereto. 

Charles C. SouLEy 
Commander, U. S. N. 

U. S. Naval Academy, 

Annapolis, Md., 

November, 1922. 





TABLE OF CONTENTS 

Chapter Page 

I. Types . i 

II. Hull and Fittings. 5 

III. Rope. 12 

IV. Blocks and Tackles. 21 

V. Compass, Log and Lead. 24 

VI. Boats. 27 

VII. Ground Tackle. 39 

VIII. Rules of the Road. 44 

IX. Weather. 47 

X. Flags . 52 

XI. Docking . 54 

XII. Handling Steamers. 57 

XIII. General Terms. 60 

Index . 73 


v 






























CHAPTER 1 


Types 


A. MEN-OF-WAR 

Aircraft. Ships designed for 
aerial flight, such as seaplanes, land 
planes, dirigibles, bombing planes, 
torpedo planes, scouting planes, 
etc. 

Auxiliaries. Vessels auxiliary to 
the fighting fleet and including 
transports, supply ships, hospital 
ships, fuel ships, and special types 
such as ammunition ships, repair 
ships, etc. 

Battle Cruiser. Heavily armed 
and of high speed capable of use 
as fast wing, for protective or de¬ 
fensive scouting, and for commerce 
destroying. 

Battleship. Heavily armed and 
armored and capable of taking 
position in first line of battle. 

Cruisers. Vessels of from 2,000 
to 10,000 tons, divided into three 
classes according to their displace¬ 
ments; good speed; no armor ex¬ 
cept protective deck; and with nu¬ 
merous intermediate or secondary 
guns; for scouting purposes. 

Destroyers. Vessels of very high 
speed, armed with torpedo tubes 
and secondary guns, for torpedo 
attack and torpedo defense. 

Fighting Ships. Vessels de¬ 
signed to carry armament for of¬ 
fensive or defensive warfare. 


Fuel Ships. Auxiliary vessels 
designed to carry a cargo of coal or 
oil fuel. 

Gunboats. Light unarmored and 
unprotected vessels, for use in 
shallow waters. 

Light Cruisers. Cruisers of spe¬ 
cially designed high speed, for use 
in fast scouting. 

Minelayers. Vessels designed to 
lay mines. 

Minesweepers. Vessels de¬ 
signed and equipped to sweep mine 
fields; they work in pairs, towing 
minesweeping gear. 

Monitors. Vessels of moderate 
displacement, of very low freeboard 
and heavily armored waterline; for 
harbor defense. 

Patrol Ships. Vessels utilized 
for patrol or blockade duty. 

Protected Cruisers. Cruisers 
with very light armor, long radius, 
and medium to high speed. 

Repair Ships. Auxiliaries de¬ 
signed and equipped to accompany 
the fleet and effect repairs; they 
may be termed floating workshops. 

Scouts. Vessels utilized to 
search for, find and report position 
of enemy. 

Scout Cruisers. Lightly armed, 
of high speed and long cruising 
radius, for scouting purposes. 


1 






2 


TYPES OF SHIPS 


Seaplanes. A type of heavier- 
than-air craft, designed to land on 
the water. 

Seaplane Carriers. Vessels de¬ 
signed and equipped to carry sea¬ 
planes, accompany the fleet, afford 
landing and take-off decks, and re¬ 
pair aircraft. 

Submarines. Vessels designed to 
navigate submerged, for sub¬ 
merged torpedo attack. 

Supply Ships. Auxiliaries de¬ 
signed and equipped to carry sup¬ 
plies and accompany the fleet. 

Torpedo Boats. Small torpedo 
vessels for harbor defense. 

Transports. Vessels designed 
and equipped to carry troops. 

Train. All the non-combatant 
vessels accompanying the fleet. 

B. SHIP’S BOATS 

Barge. A ship’s boat designated 
for the use of flag officers. 

Catamaran. A platform secured 
to two hollow floats, used as a 
liferaft or for work alongside a 
ship. 

Cutter. A double-banked, 
square-sterned ship’s boat, used for 
general ship duty. 

Dinghy. A small handy ship's 
boat, single banked with four oars, 
used for a market boat or light 
ship’s work. 

Dory. A small round-bottomed 
boat, usually fitted with an engine. 

Gig. A ship’s boat designated 
for the use of a commanding of¬ 
ficer. 

Life Boat. A ship’s boat par¬ 


ticularly adapted for use at sea; 
fitted with a steering oar passed 
through a steering crutch on the 
quarter. 

Life Raft. A raft of various de¬ 
sign, carried by vessels for life¬ 
saving purposes. 

Motor Boat. A service type 
launch built for heavy duty; or a 
speed or semi-speed boat. 

Motor Dinghy. A power dinghy, 
for officers’ use. 

Motor Dory. A power dory, 
used for officers of destroyers and 
small ships. 

Motor Lifeboat. A power life¬ 
boat. 

Motor Sailer. A sailing launch 
fitted with an auxiliary engine. 

Motor Surfboat. A boat de¬ 
signed for carrying passengers and 
cargo through surf and fitted with 
an auxiliary engine. 

Picketboat. A large heavy pow¬ 
er boat, usually of steam power, 
carried by capital ships, and de¬ 
signed for picket duty. 

Punt. A rectangular flat-b o t - 
tomed boat, usually propelled by 
sculling, and used for cleaning and 
painting the water line. 

Sailing Launch. A heavy work 
boat, square-sterned and fitted for 
rowing purposes with grommets 
and thole pins; used for ship’s 
heavy work and for carrying out 
anchors. 

Steamer. A heavy steam-pow¬ 
ered ship’s boat for general ship’s 
work. 

Whaleboat. A double -ended 
ship’s boat, either single or double 




BOATS AND SHIPS UNDER SAIL 


3 


banked, used for a running boat, 
ship’s light work and as a life¬ 
boat. 

Wherry. A light handy boat for 
officers’ use. 

C. BOATS AND SHIPS UNDER 
SAIL 

- Bark. A three-masted sailing 
vessel, square-rigged on the fore 
and main and fore-and-aft rigged 
on the mizzen. 

y Barkentine. A three-masted sail¬ 
ing vessel, square-rigged on the 
fore and fore-and-aft rigged on the 
main and mizzen. 

/ Brig. A two-masted sailing ves¬ 
sel, square-rigged. 

Brigantine. A two-masted sail¬ 
ing vessel, square-rigged on the 
fore and fore-and-aft rigged on the 
main; in olden days this type car¬ 
ried a square main topsail. 
v Catboat. A small sail boat with 
mast stepped well forward and 
carrying only a mainsail. 

Half-rater. A small sail boat 
carrying jib and mainsail and with 
no bowsprit. 

Hermaphrodite Brig. Same as 
brigantine. 

^ Ketch. A sailing vessel rigged 
like a yawl but with the jigger 
mast further forward. 

Lateen. A sailing vessel with 
triangular fore-and-aft sails,. the 
luff secured to a long yard hoisted 
obliquely to the mast. 

Lug. A rig with a quadrilateral 
sail carried on a yard hoisting on 
the mast; different types are 


French lug, balance lug, split lug, 
standing lug and dipping lug. 

Lugger. A sailing vessel with 
quadrilateral fore-and-aft sails, the 
head carried on a hoisting yard, 
and the luff shorter than the leech. 

/Mutton. A sailing rig in which 
the sail is three sided and without 
boom, gaff or sprit. 
s/ Schooner. A sailing vessel with 
two or more masts with fore-and- 
aft sails and with head sails car¬ 
ried on a bowsprit and jib-boom. 

Settee. A lateen-rigged vessel 
with a long sharp bow. 


Sharpie. A square built, flat- 
bottomed, fore-and-aft rigged sail 
boat with a centre-board. 

Ship. A three-masted square- 
rigged sailing vessel. 

Sliding Gunter. A rig used in 
men-of-war boats and consisting 
of a jib and triangular foresail and 
mainsail, the luffs of the latter se¬ 
cured to topmasts sliding on the 
lower masts, and without booms. 

N Sloop. A single-masted sailing 
boat with mainsail, and with head- 
sails carried on a bowsprit and 
jib-boom. 

v Smack. A small fishing vessel, 
sloop or cutter rigged. 


Sprit. A small sail boat with 
one sail set by a sprit secured at 
the foot of the mast and to the peak 
of the sail. 

Topsail Schooner. A schooner 
with the sails above the foresail 
square-rigged. 

/ Yawl. A rig similar to a sloop- 
rig but with a small after fore-and- 
aft sail set on a short jigger mast. 





4 


TYPES OF SHIPS 


D. SPECIAL NAMES FOR 
BOATS 

Bumboat. A boat with articles 
for sale which comes alongside of 
a vessel in port. 

Carvel Built. Constructed with 
parallel flush outside planking. 

Clinker Built. Constructed with 
over-lapping outside planking. 

Composite Built. Constructed 
with an iron frame and wooden 
planking. 

Derelict. An abandoned vessel 
at sea. 

Diagonal Built. Constructed 
without framing and with double 
planking running at an angle of 
45 degrees with the keel. 

Dredge. A vessel employed in 
digging out a channel. 

Dug-out. A boat dug out of a 
tree-trunk. 

Hulk. A worn-out and stripped 
vessel. 

Jolly Boat. A small boat used 
in the merchant service and corre¬ 
sponding to a dinghy on a man-of- 
war. 

Lighter. A flat-bottomed boat 


used in harbors for transporting 
merchandise. 

Metallic Built. Constructed with 
sheet steel galvanized plating over 
steel or wooden keel, stem and 
stern posts. 

Mud Scow. A large flat-bot¬ 
tomed boat used to carry the mud 
from a dredge. 

Open Boat. A boat which is not 

decked over. 

Pilot Boat. A power or sailing 
boat used by pilots. 

Pontoon. A raft similar to a 
catamaran but used solely for life¬ 
saving purposes. 

Scow. A large open flat-bot¬ 
tomed boat for transporting mer¬ 
chandise or sand, gravel, or mud. 

Tug Boat. A small vessel fitted 
for towing purposes. 

Water Boat. A boat fitted with 
water-tanks and a pump for trans¬ 
porting and supplying vessels with 
fresh water. 

Whale Back. A vessel con¬ 
structed with a rounded deck sim¬ 
ilar to a whale’s back and with 
large cargo capacity. 

Yacht. A pleasure boat. 





CHAPTER 2 


Hull and FiTtiNGS 


A. DECKS 

Berth Deck. A name applied to 
a lower complete deck at or near 
the water-line on old vessels and 
used primarily for berthing pur¬ 
poses and not as a gun deck. 

Double Bottoms. Water-tight 
subdivisions of a man-of-war next 
to the keel and between the outer 
bottom and inner bottom. 

Forecastle Deck. A partial deck 
at the bow over the main deck. 

Fourth Deck. A complete deck 
next below the third deck. 

Gun Deck. A name applied on 
old vessels to a deck carrying guns 
and between the main and berth 
decks. 

Half Deck. A partial deck above 
the lowest complete deck and be¬ 
low the main deck. 

Hold. The space below decks 
utilized for the stowage of ballast, 
cargo and stores. 

Main Deck. The highest deck 
extending from stem or stern; in 
old vessels, the highest covered 
deck. 

Orlop Deck. A name applied to 
a lower partial deck below the 
berth deck and on or above the 
protective deck on old vessels. 

Platform Deck. A partial deck 
below the lowest complete deck; 


called first, second, etc., from the 
top, where more than one is found. 

Poop Deck. A partial deck at 
the stern over the main deck. 

Protective Deck. The deck fit¬ 
ted with the heaviest protective 
plating. 

Quarter Deck. A name applied 
to the part of the upper deck re¬ 
served for the use of officers. 

Second Deck. A complete deck 
next below the main deck. 

Splinter Deck. The deck fitted 
with the lightest protective plat¬ 
ing. 

Superstructure Deck. A partial 
deck above the main, upper, fore¬ 
castle or poop deck, and not ex¬ 
tending out to the side of the ship. 

Upper Deck. A partial deck 
amidships, over the main deck. 

Third Deck. A complete deck 
next below the second deck. 

B. SHIP CONSTRUCTION 

Angle Bar. An angle bar form¬ 
ing the inboard side of a waterway. 

Armor Belt. The width of ar¬ 
mor carried on a man-of-war above 
and below the water-line. 

Armor Shelf. The plate forming 
the foundation for the armor belt. 

Bar Keel. An external keel of 
heavy iron or steel bars. 


5 





6 


HULL AND FITTINGS 


Bilge. The curved part of the 
ship’s hull where the sides and the 
flat bottom meet. 

Bilge Keel. The keel fitted at 
the turn of the bilge to check a 
vessel from rolling. 

Bottom Plating. The plating on 
a vessel's bottom. 

Bulkhead. Transverse or longi¬ 
tudinal partitions separating por¬ 
tions of the ship. 

>/ Bulwarks. The light plating or 
wooden extension of the ship’s 
sides above the upper deck. 

Bunker. A compartment for the 
stowage of coal. 

Cargo Hatch. A hatch over a 
cargo hold. 

Cargo Port. A square side-port 
for use in loading or discharging 
cargo. 

Cofferdam. A cellular subdivi¬ 
sion usually filled with cellulose 
found on old ships as a protection 
at the waterline. 

Collision Bulkhead. A water¬ 
tight athwartship bulkhead a short 
distance abaft the stem, for the 
purpose of confining damage due 
to a head-on collision. 

Coaming. The raised framework 
about deck openings. 

Cut-water. The foremost part of 
the stem, cutting the water as the 
vessel forges ahead. 

Dead Wood. The triangular 
shaped pieces forming the connec¬ 
tion between the keel and the stem, 
and the keel and the stern post, in 
wooden ships. 

Dead Rise. The angle of a ship’s 
floor to the horizontal. 


Deck Beam. An athwartship 

beam supporting a deck. 

Docking Keel. The heavy wood¬ 
en keel fitted on flat-floor vessels 
outboard of the main keel for use 
in taking the ship’s weight when 
in dock. 

False Keel. A thin keel spiked 
to the lower side of the main keel 
of wooden or sheathed ships as a 
protection to the keel. 

Floor Plates. Removable iron 
plates forming the deck plating in 
fire and engine rooms. 

Forefoot. The heel of the stem 
where it connects to the keel. 

Frame. The ribs of a ship, 
strengthening and supporting the 
shell plating. 

Freeing Port. A port about 3 
feet long and 18 inches wide in the 
bulwarks for the purpose of freeing 
the deck of water. 

Garboard Strake. The strake 
next to the keel. 

Hatch. An opening in a ship’s 
deck for communication or for 
handling stores or cargo. 

Inner Bottom. The top of the 
double bottom and consisting of 
water-tight plating secured to the 
reverse frames. 

Inner Keel. The keelson. 

Keel. The timber or bar form¬ 
ing the backbone of the vessel and 
running from the stem to the stern- 
post at the bottom of the ship. 

Keelson. The longitudinal tim¬ 
ber or bar bolted on top of the 
keel. 

Knee. An angular piece con- 






FITTINGS 


7 


necting a vessel’s frames to the 
beams. 

Landing Strake. The second 
line of planking below the gun¬ 
wale. 

Longitudinal. Fore-and - aft 
strengthening bars placed at in¬ 
tervals between the keel and the 
armor shelf or bilge margins. 

Nose. A vessel’s cut-water. 

Outer Keel. The vertical keel. 

Overhang. The projection of the 
stern beyond the sternpost, and of 
the bow beyond the stem. 
sj Planking. Broad planks used to 
cover a wooden vessel’s sides, or 
covering the deck beams. 

Port. An opening in a ship’s 
side—such as air-port, gun-port, or 
cargo-port. 

Prow. The part of the bow 
above the water. 

Rib. A frame of a vessel. 

Shell Plating. The water-tight 
plating riveted to the frames. 

Sheer Strake. The uppermost 
strake of a vessel’s side. 

Skeg. The continuation of the 
keel aft, protecting the propellers 
and taking the heel of the rudder. 

Stem. The foremost vertical 
timber or casting and fitting into 
the forward end of the keel. 

Sternpost. The aftermost ver¬ 
tical timber or casting and fitting 
into the after end of the keel. 

Strake. A continuous planking 
or plating fitted end to end from 
stem to stern of a vessel’s side. 

Stringer. A horizontal plank or 


plate secured to a vessel’s frames 
and supporting beam-ends. 

Strut. The bracket support for 
a vessel’s tail shaft. 

Vertical Keel Plate. A vertical 
plate running from stem to stern 
post and secured at its lower edge 
to the flat keel plate. 

C. FITTINGS 

Accommodation Ladder. The 
portable steps from the gangway 
down to the water-line. 

Bill Board. The inclined bed for 
an old-fashioned anchor. 

Boat Boom. The boom swung 
out from a ship’s side when at 
anchor and to which boats in the 
water secure. 

Booby Hatch. A wooden hood 
covering a small after hatchway on 
board ship. 

Boatswain’s Chest. The deck 

chest in which the Boatswain keeps 
his deck gear. 

Boatswain’s Locker. The locker 
in which the Boatswain keeps his 
deck gear. 

Breaker. A small cask for fresh 
water carried in ship’s boats. 

Buckler. A plating fitted into a 
port or hawse pipe, to close it. 

Cargo Boom. A swingingboom 
plumbing a cargo hatch and used 
in handling cargo. 

J Chain Locker. A compartment 
forward where the chain cable is 
stowed. 

Chock. A heavy wooden or 
metal fitting secured on a deck or 











8 


HULL AND FITTINGS 


on a dock, with jaws, used for the 
lead of lines or cables. 

Charlie Noble. The galley 
smoke-pipe. 

Companion-way. The steps lead¬ 
ing below from the upper deck, 
usually applied to the hatch re¬ 
served for the commanding officer 
of commander-in-chief. 

Coppers. The large kettles made 
of copper and used for cooking. 

Cradle. A stowage rest for a 
ship’s boat. 

Crane. A derrick used aboard 
ship for swinging in and out boats 
and for handling heavy weights. 

Deadlight. Round thick glass 
windows in the side of a ship. 

Deck Light. Thick glass in the 
deck of a vessel for lighting pur¬ 
poses below. 

Ditty-box. A small box with a 
hinged lid used by men-of-war’s 
men for stowing small articles. 

Ditty-bag. A small bag used by 
men-of-war’s men to stow small 
articles of wearing apparel. 

Eyebolt. A bolt in the deck fit¬ 
ted with a ring and used for se¬ 
curing gear. 

Flagstaff. The staff to which 
the ensign is hoisted. 

Fidley. The iron framework 
around the ladder of a deck hatch 
leading below decks. 

Figure Head. A carved wooden 
figure carried on old sailing vessels 
under the bowsprit. 

Fender Bar. A long fore-and-aft 
spar hung over a ship’s side as a 
fender. 


Grating. A wooden lattice-work 
platform covering a hatch or the 
bottom boards of a boat; similarly 
designed gratings of metal are fre¬ 
quently found on shipboard. 

Gunport Shutter. The metal 
shutter closing a gunport. 

Gangway. An opening in the 
bulwarks to give entrance to the 
ship. 

Gangway Ladder. Same as ac¬ 
commodation ladder. 

Hammock Nettings. The boxes 
for the stowage of hammocks. 

Hammock Cloth. The canvas 
weather cover over the hammock 
nettings. 

Hawse Block. The wooden 
block used as a plug to close the 
hawse hole. 

Hood. A covering of wood or 
canvas over a hatch, companion- 
way or skylight. 

Hanging Stage. A plank hung 

by each end over the side for men 
to sit on while working over the 
side. 

Jack Staff. The staff fitted over 
the stem to carry the jack. 

Manhole. A hole designed so as 
to admit a man’s body and closed 
by a water-tight plate. 

Mast Hole. A hole in a deck or 
in a thwart of a boat through which 
the mast leads. 

Monkey Gaff. The light gaff fit¬ 
ted on some vessels on the after 
masthead, and carrying signal hal¬ 
liards. 

Netting. A rope net work. 

Ridge Pole. The horizontal pole 




PARTS OF THE SHIP 


9 


supporting the middle of an awn¬ 
ing. 


Stanchions. Wooden or metal 
uprights used as supports. 

Scupper-Lip. The metal projec¬ 
tion at the bottom of a scupper for 
the purpose of keeping the water 
from the scupper clear of the ship’s 
side. 

Siren. The shrieking device op¬ 
erated by steam and used as a warn¬ 
ing signal. 

Step. The frame on the keelson 
into which the keel of a mast fits 
or steps. 


Scraper. A hand tool for scrap¬ 
ing purposes. 

Scuttle-butt. The container of 
fresh water for drinking purposes 
and used by the crew; formerly it 
consisted of a cask. 

Sea Cock. A cock in a pipe con¬ 
nected to the sea; a vessel may be 
flooded by opening the sea cocks. 


Sheer Pole. An iron rod across 
the foot of the shrouds, serving to 
keep the shrouds spread and as a 
foot rope or ratline. 

Skylight. A covering either per¬ 
manent or removable, fitting over 
a hatch and with hinged sashes; it 
admits air and light below decks. 


Spit Kit. A small wooden tub 
used as a spittoon. 

Spy Glass. A small hand tele¬ 
scope. 

Stern Ladder. The ladder hung 
over a vessel’s stern for the use of 
boat’s crews. 

J Tarpaulin. Heavy painted can¬ 
vas used as a covering. 


Tompion (pronounced T o m p - 
kin). The wooden plug placed in 
the muzzle of a gun to keep out 
dampness. 

Vane. A piece of bunting flown 
at the truck to indicate the direc¬ 
tion of the wind. 

Ventilator. A wooden or metal 
pipe used to supply or to exhaust 
air. 

Ventilator Cowl. The swivelled 
opening at the top of a ventilator. 

Water Breaker. A small cask 
carried in ship’s boats for drinking 
water. 

Waterway. The gutter at the 
sides of a ship’s deck to carry off 
water through the scuppers. 

Washboard. The thin planking 
projecting above the rail of a small 
boat to increase the freeboard and 
to keep out spray and water. 

Windsail. A canvas trunk 
spread to admit air below decks. 

D. PARTS OF THE SHIP 

Bridge. The raised platform ex¬ 
tending athwartships in the for¬ 
ward part of the ship and from 
which the ship is steered and navi¬ 
gated. Amidships and after bridges 
,are sometimes fitted. 

Brig. The ship’s prison—a sail¬ 
or’s slang phrase. 

Cabin. The captain’s quarters. 

Crows’-nest. The platform on 
the mast for the lookout. 

Fantail. The part of the stern 
of a vessel extending abaft the 
sternpost. 










10 


HULL AND FITTINGS 


Fore Peak. The part of the ves¬ 
sel below decks at the stem. 

Forecastle. The upper deck for¬ 
ward of the foremast. 

Galley. The ship’s kitchen. 

Gallows. The framework some¬ 
times fitted above the main or su¬ 
perstructure deck for boat stowage 
and for the stowage of spare parts. 
n/ Glory Hole. A term applied to 
the lazarette. 

Head. The ship’s water closet. 

Lazarette. A low head- room 
space below decks in the after part 
of some ships, used for provisions 
or spare parts. 

Magazine. The space provided 
for the stowage of explosives. 

Shaft-Alley. The tunnels over 
the shafts. 

Shellroom. The space provided 
for the stowage of shell. 

Sick Bay. The ship’s hospital. 

Skids. Beams sometimes fitted 
over the decks for the stowage of 
heavy boats. 

Steerage. The junior officers’ 
quarters. 

\| Stern. The after part of the ves¬ 
sel. 

Storeroom. The space provided 
for stowage of provisions or other 
material. 

Top. The platform at the top 
of a mast. 

Upper Works. The sides of a 
vessel above the waterline. 

Up Take. The enclosed trunk 
connecting a boiler or a group of 
boilers to the smoke stack. 


E. TERMS USED 

Between Decks. The space be¬ 
tween decks. 

Bluff. Perpendicular. 

Bowed. Sprung or bent. 

Depth of Hold. The distance 
amidships of a cargo vessel from 
the top of the floor to the top of 
the upper deck beams. 

Displacement. The weight of 
the water displaced by a vessel. 

Entrance. The portion of a ves¬ 
sel’s bow just above the water¬ 
line. 

Fine. Sharp forward. 

Flush Deck. A continuous up¬ 
per deck. 

Freeboard. The distance from 
the waterline to the rail or cover¬ 
ing board. 

Hand Hole. A small hole in 
shell plating for access by hand 
tools. 

Kettle-bottomed. Having a flat 
floor. 

Lightening Hole. A hole cut 
into shell plating in order to lighten 
the plate. 

Limber Hole. A hole cut in the 
framing near the keelson to allow 
water to flow fore-and-aft. 

Plimsoll Mark. The circle with 
a horizontal line painted on the 
outside of some merchant vessels 
to indicate the extreme loading 
raft. 

Run. The narrowing after part 
of a vessel. 

Sheathed. An iron or steel ves¬ 
sel with the shell plating sheathed 
with wood to a height above the 




DRAINAGE, FIRE MAIN 


11 


waterline, and with the bottom cop¬ 
pered. 

Tumble Home. The inclination 
inboard of a vessel's sides. 

Waist. The portion of the deck 
between the forecastle and quar¬ 
terdeck. 

Wales. Strong planks running 
fore-and-aft on a vessel’s sides. 

Wall Sided. Perpendicular¬ 
sided. 

v Waterline. The line painted on 
the side of a vessel at the water’s- 
edge to indicate the proper trim. 

Well Deck. That part of the 
main deck of a vessel having a 
raised forecastle and poop. 

F. DRAINAGE, FIRE MAIN, 
FLUSHING AND VENTILAT¬ 
ING SYSTEMS 

Blower. A ventilating or forced 
draught blower. 

Drainage. The system of pipes 
and pumps installed on board ship 
to expel water. 

Fire Hose. The hose used for 
fire purposes. 

Fire Main. The large pipe run¬ 
ning fore-and-aft underneath the 
protective deck for distributing 
water to the fire-plugs. 

Flushing Main. The large pipe 


running fore-and-aft underneath 
the second deck for distributing 
flushing water. 

Flushing System. The salt water 
system for supplying toilets, wash¬ 
rooms, laundry, etc. 

Louvre. A metal cap covering 
the end of a ventilator pipe below 
decks and fitted with wire mesh. 

Main Drain. A large pipe run¬ 
ning fore-and-aft and connecting 
the main circulating pumps with all 
parts of the ship, for expelling 
water. 

Magazine Flooding System. The 
salt-water system for flooding 
magazines. 

Manifold. A metal chest con¬ 
taining valves for connection to 
pumps and mains. 

Riser. A vertical branch pipe. 

Sanitary System, Same as 
Flushing System. 

Sea Suction. A connection in 
the ship’s side to the sea. 

Secondary Drain. A drain smal¬ 
ler than the main drain and capable 
of removing small quantities of 
water by connection to pumps. 

Ventilating System. The sys¬ 
tem consisting of ventilating fans 
and piping, to circulate fresh air 
in the vessel. 




CHAPTER 3 


Rope 


A. KINDS OF ROPE 

Cable. A rope; a chain secured 
to an anchor. 

Cable-laid. Nine-stranded, left- 
handed rope, laid up against the 
sun. 

Cod Line. Small stuff made of 
untarred American hemp or of cot¬ 
ton; used for hammock clews. 

Coir. Rope made of the fibres 
of cocoanut husks; used for small 
lines requiring buoyancy. 

Cordage. A general term for 
rope of all kinds. 

Fibre Rope. Hemp and Manila 
rope. 

Hamber Line (H a m b r o 1 i n e). 

Three-stranded seizing stuff, tight¬ 
ly laid. 

Hawser-laid. Nine- stranded, 1 
left-handed rope. 

Hawser. A large rope used for 
heavy work, such as towing. 

Hemp. Rope made of the fibres 
of the hemp plant; used for small 
stuff of less than 24 thread (i$4 
inch circumference). 

House Line. Three- stranded, 
left-handed rope; used for fine seiz¬ 
ing. 

Jute Rope. Rope made from the 
fibre of the jute plant. 

Junk. Old rope. 


Keckling. Chafing stuff around 
cables, made of old rope. 

Left-handed. Twisted from left 
to right or against the sun; strands 
and cables are usually left-handed. 

Manila. Rope made of the fibres 
of the wild banana; used for rope 
larger than 24 thread (i $4 inch cir¬ 
cumference). 

Marline. Two-stranded, left- 
handed rope; used for fine seizings 
and for sennit. 

Right-handed. Twisted from 
right to left or with the sun; yarn 
and rope is usually right-handed. 

Rope Yarn. Twisted fibres used 
for rough seizings, and which may 
be twisted into strands. 

Round Line. Three -stranded, 
right-handed rope, used for fine 
seizings. 

Ratline Stuff. Small stuff, three- 
stranded, right-handed, tarred; used 
for rattling rigging. 

Small Stuff. Small cordage des¬ 
ignated by number of threads or 
special names, such as ratline stuff, 
marline, etc., usually of American 
hemp, tarred. 

Sennit. Braided rope yarns or 
spun yarn; known as flat, French, 
round or square, according to figure 
braided. 


12 



SPECIAL NAMES FOR SPECIAL PURPOSES 


13 


Shroud-laid. Four j stranded, 
right-handed rope. 

Spun Yarn. Rough stuff made 
from long tow, laid up loosely left- 
handed of two, three or four 
strands; used for seizings and small 
stuff. 

Strand (ed). (i) A number of 

yarns twisted together, and which 
in turn may be twisted into rope. 
(2) A rope is stranded when a 
strand is broken. (3) Rope may 
be designated by the number of 
strands composing it; rope is com¬ 
monly three-standard; Manila rope 
over 2 > t A inches in circumference is 
usually four-stranded and four- 
stranded rope has a heart or core. 
(4) A vessel run ashore is said to 
be stranded. 

Thread. Yarns making up 
strands; small rope is sometimes 
designated by the number of 
threads going to make up a strand; 
e.g.: two-thread, seventy-two- 
thread, etc. 

Twice-laid. Rope laid up from 
old yarns. 

Yarns. 1. Twisted fibres used 
for rough seizings, and which may 
be twisted into strands. 2. Tales 
—to “spin a yarn ” is to tell a 
story. 

B. SPECIAL NAMES FOR 
SPECIAL PURPOSES 

Bolt Rope. Rope around the 
[ edges of sails, sewed to the sail. 

Bridle. A span of rope with 
f ends secured. 

Clothes Stop. Small cotton line 
used for stopping clothes to the line 


or for securing clothes rolled up in 
bags or lockers. 

Concluding Line. A small rope 
rove through the middle of the 
steps of a Jacob’s ladder. 

Earing. A short piece of rope 
secured to a cringle for hauling 
out the cringle. 

Foot Rope. Rope secured under 
a yard, bowsprit or boom for a 
foot support when working. 

Fox. Two yarns hand twisted 
or a single yarn twisted against its 
natural lay; used for light seizings. 

Gantline (Girtline). A line rove 
through a single block secured 
aloft, e.g.: hammock gantline. 

Grab Rope. A line secured waist 
high above a boat-boom or gang 
plank; used for steadying oneself. 

Grommet. A ring of rope 
formed by a single strand laid three 
times round. 

Guess Warp. A line from for¬ 
ward rove through a thimble at the 
outer end of a boat boom, used for 
securing a boat to the boom; a 
toggle is fitted through the line 
/abaft the thimble. 

Guy. A steadying rope. 

Hauling Line. A line sent down 
from aloft and used in hauling up 
piece of gear. 

Heaving Line. A small line se¬ 
cured to a hawser and thrown to 
an approaching vessel or to a dock, 
for a messenger. 

Hogging Line. A chain bent to 
the dip rope and secured to a col¬ 
lision mat for hauling the mat 
under the side of the vessel. 

Hand Rope. Same as grab rope. 





14 


ROPE 


Jacob’s Ladder. A ladder of 
rope with wooden steps used over 
the side and aloft. 

Jaw Rope. A span of rope lead¬ 
ing from the jaws of a gaff around 
the mast, strung with hard wooden 
beads. 

Jumper. A rope used to prevent 
a spar from jumping up; specifi¬ 
cally, the rope from the outer end 
^pf the whiskers to the martingale. 

Lacing. Rope used to secure a 
sail to a gaff. 

Lead Line. Line of cotton twine, 
braided, for boat lead line; of flax 
twine, braided, for ship’s lead line 
and coasting lead line; and of hemp 
for deep-sea lead line. The line is 
secured to the lead. 

Log Line. Line of hemp for 
chip log line; and of cotton twine, 
braided, for taffrail log line. The 
line is secured to the log. 


V 


J 


Lanyard. A rope made fast to 
an article for securing it, e.g.: knife 
lanyard, bucket lanyard, etc.; or 
for setting up rigging. 

Man Ropes. Ropes hung over a 
ship’s side and used for assistance 
in ascending or descending. 

Painter. A short piece of rope 
secured in the bow of a small boat, 
used for making her fast. 

Preventer. A rope used for ad¬ 
ditional support or for additional 
securing, e.g.: preventer backstay, 
preventer hawser, etc. 

Rack. To seize two ropes to¬ 
gether with cross turns of spun 
yarn. 

Ratline. A short length of rat¬ 


line stuff running horizontally 
across shrouds, for a step. 

Roband (Rope-Band). A small 
piece of manila or spun yarn used 
to secure the luff of a sail to the 
mast hoops or stay hanks. 

Rose Lashing. A lashing in 
which the parts are crossed alter¬ 
nately over and under, with the 
end passed around the crossing. 

Running Rigging. That part of 
a ship’s rigging which is movable 
and rove through blocks, such as 
halyards, sheets, etc. 

Sea Painter. A line leading from 
forward and secured to a forward 
inboard thwart in such a way as 
to permit quick releasing; it tends 
to throw the bow of the boat out 
when the boat is water-borne. 

Selvagee. Rope yarn or spun 
yarn marled together and used as 
a neat strap. 

Seizing Stuff. Three-stranded, 
right-handed, high-g rade small 
stuff, laid up by machinery. 

Slip Rope. A rope bent to the 
anchor cable outboard of the hawse- 
pipe and secured on the vessel’s 
quarter; used in slipping the cable. 

Smiting Line. A line used in 
breaking a light sail sent up in 
stops. 

Stern Fast, Stern Line. A rope 
led over the stern of a vessel and 
used in securing her by the stern. 

Stopper. A short length of rope 
secured at one end, and used in se¬ 
curing or checking a running rope, 
e.g.: deck stopper, boat-fall stop¬ 
per, etc. 

Strap. A ring of rope made by 




TERMS USED IN HANDLING ROPE AND LINES 


15 


splicing the ends, used for slinging 
weights, holding the parts of a 
block together, etc. 
v Standing Rigging. That part of 
a ship’s rigging which is perma¬ 
nently secured and not movable, 
e.g.: stays, shrouds, etc. 

Thrums. Short strands of rope 
with strands unlaid and stuck 
through a mat to make a rough 
urface. 

Topping Lift. A lift used for 
topping up a boom and sustaining 
its weight. 

Tricing Line. A line used for 
hoisting up an article. 

Tripping Line. A line used for 
capsizing a sea anchor. 

C. TERMS USED IN HAND¬ 
LING ROPE AND LINES 

Against-the-sun. From left to 
right; used in laying up rope or 
coiling it down. 

^ Belay. To make fast to a pin or 
cleat. 

Bend, (i) To make fast, e.g.: 
bend a cable is to make it fast to 
the anchor. (2) A knot by which 
a rope is made fast to another. 

Bight. Any part of a rope ex¬ 
cept the ends; usually refers to a 
I bend in a rope. 

Bitter-end. The last part of a 
rope. 

Catch a Turn. To take a turn 
with a rope quickly, usually for 
1 holding it temporarily. 

Chafe. To wear the surface of 
a rope or spar by rubbing. 

Clap On. 1. To seize a rope and 


haul away. 2. To make more, as 
clap on sail. 

Clear for Running. Ready to 
run out without fouling. 

Clinch. A half hitch stopped to 
its own part. 

Coil. A mass of rope wound 
around and around, one turn on 
top of another. 

Cow’s Tail. The frayed or un¬ 
tidy end of a rope. 

Dead Rope. A rope not lead 
through a block or sheave. 

Double Up. To double a ves¬ 
sel’s securing lines. 

Fake. (1) A circle of a coil of 
rope; the coils overlap and the rope 
is clear for running. (2) To fake 
down is to coil down a rope. 

Fleet. To shift from place to 
place, e.g.: to fleet forward on a 
boat-fall; specifically to draw the 
blocks of a tackle apart. 

Flemish Down. To coil flat 
down on deck, each fake outside 
of the other beginning in the mid¬ 
dle and all close together. 

Frap. To pass ropes around a 
sail to secure it from blowing loose. 

Freshen the Nip. To shift a 
rope so as to take the wear in an¬ 
ther place. 

Gear. The general name for 
ropes, blocks and tackles of spars 
or sails. 

Grafting. A rope or ring cover¬ 
ing of woven yarns. 

V Irish Pennant. An untidy loose 
end of a rope. 

Kink. A twist in a rope. 

Lay. (1) A preliminary order, 




16 


ROPE 


e.g.: lay aloft, lay out, etc. (2) 
The direction of the twist of 
strands of a rope. 

Messenger. A light line used for 
hauling over a heavier rope or 
cable; in old sailing ships, a line 
led to the capstan to assist in heav¬ 
ing in the chain. 

Middle a Rope. To double a 
rope so that the two parts are 
equal in length. 

Nip. A short turn in a rope. 

Parbuckle. To handle a spar or 
cask over the side by the bight of 
two ropes, the end of each rope 
secured and the other end tended. 

Pass a Stopper. To reeve and 
secure a stopper. 

Plat. To braid; used with small 
stuff. 

Point. To taper the end of a 
rope. 

Rattle Down. To clove-hitch 
ratlines across the rigging. 

Render. Said of a rope when it 
runs easily through a sheave or 
fair-lead. 

7 Reeve. To pass the end of a 
rope through any lead such as a 
sheave or fair-lead. 

Single Up. To come up double 
lines so that only single parts re¬ 
main secured. 

Slack. (1) The part of a rope 
hanging loose. (2) To ease off. 

Snake. To secure two ropes to¬ 
gether by racking. 

Square Mark. A reference mark 
of twine placed on running rigging 
to indicate when the gear is prop¬ 
erly squared or suspended. 


Swifter In. To bring two 
shrouds or stays close together by 
turns of rope. 

Surge. To slack suddenly. 

Swig Off. To gather in on a 
rope by heaving out and down 
with the weight of the body, at the 
same time taking in the slack 
where secured. 

Veer. To slack off and allow to 
run out; said of a change of direc¬ 
tion of wind with the sun. 

D. KNOTS 
(End of Single Rope) 

Blackwall Hitch. A hitch either 
single or double around the hook 
of a block, used for hooking a 
tackle to the end of a rope when 
there is little end to work with. 

Bowline. A hitch in the form of 
a noose—used for securing hawsers 
to bollards, lowering men over the 
side and for many similar purposes 
—the King of Knots, when prop¬ 
erly tied it will not slip or jamb. 

Bowline on a Bight. A bowline 
made with the bight of a rope, 
finishing off by carrying the open 
single bight up around the doubled 
bights and hauling taut—seldom 
used, but sometimes used where 
greater strength than given by a 
single bowline is necessary, or 
when the end of the rope is not 
accessible. 

Cats Paw. A double loop formed 
by twisting two bights of a rope; 
the hook of a tackle is passed 
through them. 

Figure-of-eight. A hitch re¬ 
sembling the figure eight and used 




BENDS 


17 


to prevent the end of the rope from 
unreeving. 

French Bowline. Similar to a 
bowline but with an additional 
loop formed by taking a round turn 
through the loop before passing 
the end over the standing part; 
used in lowering a man into a 
smoke-filled hold, the additional 
loop passing under his arms. 

Overhand Knot. A simple knot 
formed by passing the end of a 
rope over the standing part and 
through the bight—seldom used. 

Running Bowline. A running 
loop or noose, formed by making 
a bowline over its own standing 
part; used when a running loop is 
needed. 

Sheepshank. A knot used to 
shorten a rope by taking half 
hitches with the standing parts 
over bights of the rope—seldom 
used. 

E. BENDS 

(Joining Ropes Together) 

Double Carrick Bend. A knot 
made by first crossing the end of 
one rope and then passing the end 
of the other under the standing 
part, over the end, up through the 
bight, over its own standing part 
and down through the bight again; 
used for joining two hawsers to¬ 
gether, but will jamb. 

Granny Knot. A square knot 
with the ends crossed the wrong 
way; it will jamb. 

Reeving Line Bend. A bend 
used for joining hawsers which are 
to reeve through a chock, made by 
taking a half hitch with each end 


around the other rope and stop-: 
pering the ends; probably the best 
bend for this use with heavy lines. 

Sheet or Becket Bend. A bend 
made by passing the end of a rope 
up through the bight of another, 
round both parts and under its own 
part; very useful—one use is in 
bending on flags not fitted with 
snap hooks. 

Sheet Bend, Double. A bend 
similar to a single sheet bend but 
with two turns instead of one round 
the two parts of the other rope; 
may be used in bending hawsers 
together. 

Single Carrick Bend. A knot 
made by first crossing the end of 
one rope and then passing the end 
of the other down through the 
bight, under the standing part, over 
the end and down through the 
bight again; used for joining two 
hawsers together but it will jamb. 

Square or Reef Knot. A knot 
formed from an overhand knot by 
crossing the ends and bringing one 
end up through the bight alongside 
its own standing part; of many 
uses. 

Two Bowlines. A knot formed 
by turning a bowline, first passing 
the end of the rope through the 
loop of a bowline turned in another 
rope; a method of securing haw¬ 
sers together. 

F. BENDS 

(Securing Lines To Spars, Etc.) 

Clove Hitch. A bend formed by 
making two half-hitches about the 
spar; very useful—one use is in 
I hitching ratlines to the shrouds. 





18 


ROPE 


Fisherman’s Bend. A bend 
formed by taking two round turns, 
and bringing the end around and 
then under the turns; used for se¬ 
curing a rope to a buoy or a hawser 
to a kedge. 

Marling Hitch. A hitch similar 
to a half hitch but with the haul¬ 
ing part leading over and under 
the standing part; used in lashing 
hammocks and with a marlingspike 
in lashings and seizings. 

Rolling Hitch. A hitch formed 
by taking one turn over its own 
part and two round turns, the end 
coming up under these last turns; 
used in towing a spar. 

Round Turn and Two Half 
Hitches. A round turn with two 
half hitches taken on the standing 
part—may be used in securing a 
hawser to a bollard, but will jamb 
unless a toggle is used to separate 
the hitches. 

Studding Sail Halliard Bend. A 
round turn with the end coming 
up around the standing part, under 
both turns and tucked over and 
under the turns; the greater the 
strain the tighter does the bend 
become; not of much use in pres¬ 
ent days. 

Studding Sail Tack Bend. A 
bend made by taking a turn, pass¬ 
ing the end back around the stand¬ 
ing part and catching a half hitch 
to the standing part just above; it 
will not come adrift through work¬ 
ing; not of much use in present 
days. 

Timber Hitch. A hitch formed 
by taking a turn, passing the end 


over the standing part and tuck¬ 
ing it; used in towing a spar. 

Timber Hitch and Half Hitch. 
Same as a timber hitch but with a 
half hitch. 

Topsail Halliard Bend. Same as 
a studding sail halliard bend but 
with two round turns; seldom used. 

Two Half Hitches. A hitch 
formed by leading the end over 
and under and up through the 
standing part and repeating the 
process; a very useful hitch espe¬ 
cially in making fast moderate 
sized lines, but it will jamb. 

G. KNOTS 

(Worked in End of Rope) 

Diamond Knot. An ornamental 
knot made by making a double 
carrick bend and passing the ends 
around the bight and up through 
the center of the bend. 

Double Wall and Crown. A 
single wall doubled by leading 
each strand back and parallel to 
itself and finished off with a single 
crown. 

Double Wall and Double Crown. 

Same as a double wall and crown 
but with the crown doubled by a 
process similar to doubling the 
wall. 

Manrope Knot. A double wall 
and double crown; the ends come 
out underneath and are hidden; 
used on the end of a manrope. 

Matthew Walker Knot. An orna¬ 
mental knot, formed by unlaying 
the end of a rope, forming a bight 
with each strand, and taking the 
end of each strand up through the 



PROTECTION AND APPLIANCES 


19 


next bight, around the rope, and 
up through the same bight again. 

Matthew Walker Knot Double. 
A knot made by unlaying the end 
of a rope and turning an overhand 
knot around the standing part and 
up through its own bight. 

Stopper Knot. A double crown 
and a double wall, the crown be¬ 
ing made first, the ends coming 
out of the side of the knot; used on 
the end of a deck stopper. 

Turk’s Head. An ornamental 
knot made by taking two round 
turns and interlacing the ends to 
form diamond shaped knots. 

Wall and Crown. A wall knot 
finished off with a crown by lead¬ 
ing the ends of each strand over 
one another and tucking the third 
one. 

Wall Knot. An ornamental knot 
formed by unlaying the end of a 
rope and tucking each strand from 
left to right up underneath the 
strand next to the right. 

Whipping. A method of pre¬ 
venting the ends of a rope from un¬ 
laying or fraying by turns of 
stout twine with the ends tucked. 

H. SPLICES AND SEIZINGS 

Eye Splice. An eye turned in 
the end of a rope by tucking the 
strands in the standing part so that 
each strand comes out in a differ¬ 
ent lay, finished off by tucking the 
number of times equal to the num¬ 
ber of strands. 

Eye Splice, Four - Stranded. 

Same as eye splice, tucking four 
times. 


Eye Seizing. A seizing for 
shortening up an eye, the turns of 
the seizing stuff being taken over 
and under each part and the ends 
crossed over the turns. 

Flat Seizing. A seizing for stop¬ 
ping the end of a rope to its own 
part, a number of round turns be¬ 
ing taken and the end led back 
through the turns and through a 
bight of the other end. 

Long Splice. Joining two ropes 
together by unlaying the ends and 
interlacing them, finishing off by 
following each strand into the lay 
of the opposite one; the rope may 
then reeve through a block. 

Short Splice. Joining two ropes 
together by unlaying the ends and 
interlacing them, finishing by tuck¬ 
ing each strand over one and under 
one three times; the splice will not 
permit the rope to reeve through 
a block. 

Throat Seizing. A seizing for 
stopping the end of a rope to its 
own part, by double round turns, 
the first turn through an eye in one 
end, and finished off by round 
turns across the middle of all turns. 

I. PROTECTION AND 
APPLIANCES 

Parceling. A protection against 
the weather and consisting of 
winding long strips of light cloth 
material around a rope prepara¬ 
tory to serving. 

Serving. Additional protection 
over parceling and consisting of 
continuous round turns of serving 
stuff. 



20 


ROPE 


Serving Board. A small piece of 
flat board with a handle used for 
serving small rope. 

Serving Mallet. A wooden mal¬ 
let with a groove cut lengthwise 
in its head and used for serving 
large rope. 

Turn Buckle. A metal appliance 
consisting of a thread and screw 


capable of being set up or slacked 
back and used for setting up 
standing rigging. 

Wire Rope Clips. Clamps for 
holding two parts of wire together. 

Worming. Filling up the lays 
of a rope preparatory to parceling 
by spiral windings of small stuff 
so as to make a round surface. 



CHAPTER 4 


Blocks and Tackles 


A. PARTS OF BLOCKS 

Breech. The bottom of a block. 

Bushing. The bearing of the 
sheave of a block on the pin. 

Cheeks. The sides of a block. 

Hook. The curved metal piece 
fitted at the top of an upper block 
and used for hooking the block. 

Pin. The metal axle of a block 
upon which the sheave revolves. 

Sheave. The wheel of a block 
over which the fall of the block 
reeves. 

Shell. The casing of a block 
within which the sheave revolves. 

Score. The groove cut in the 
sides of a block to take the rope 
or wire strap; blocks are now usu¬ 
ally strapped with iron. 

Strap. A rope, wire or iron 
binding encircling a block and with 
a thimble seized into it for taking 
a hook. 

Swallow. The opening in a 
block above and below the sheave. 

Thimble. A wire or metal ring 
at the top of an upper block into 
which the hook secures. 

B. KINDS OF BLOCKS 
i. General Classifications 

Bull’s Eye. An oval piece of 


wood with a hole through it for 
the lead of a rope. 

Deadeye. A small flat block with 
three holes, found on the ends of 
chain plates and for setting up 
shrouds and stays. 

Double Block. A block with 
two sheaves. 

Four-fold Block. A block with 
four sheaves. 

Cheek Block. A half shell cov¬ 
ering a sheave, the other cheek be¬ 
ing the spar to which it is secured. 

Morticed Block. A block made 
out of a single piece of wood with 
the space for the sheave chiselled 
out. 

Patent Block. A block having 
friction rollers for the pin bearing. 

Single Block. A block with a 
single sheave. 

Sister Block. A shell with two 
sheaves, one above the other; the 
falls lead in opposite directions. 

Tail Block. A block with a tail 
of rope instead of a hook. 

Treble-fold Block. A block with 
three sheaves. 

2. Blocks Used for Special 
Purposes 

Cat Block. The lower block of 
the old type of cat-fall, usually 
double or three-fold. 


21 




BLOCKS AND TACKLES 


Cargo Block. A large metal 
block used on a cargo boom. 

Dasher Block. A small signal 
halliard block secured at the end 
of the spanker gaff. 

Clump Block. A small oval 
block with rounded shell used on 
staysail pendants. 

Fiddle Block. An elongated 
shell with two sheaves, the larger 
one on top; the falls lead the same 
way. 

Fish Block. The lower block of 
a fish tackle and fitted with a fish 
hook. 

Gin Block. A metal block with 
an open metal shell. 

Leading Block. A single block 
used to make a fair lead for run¬ 
ning gear. 

Snatch Block. A single block 
fitted so that the shell or hook 
hinges so that the bight of a rope 
may be passed through it. 

Viol Block. A block similar to 
a snatch block but without a hinge; 
the bight of a rope may be dropped 
into the sheave. 

C. TACKLES 
(Pronounced “ Taykle ”) 
i. General Classification 

Double Whip. A tackle with 
two single blocks and standing part 
not secured to one of the blocks— 
Power = 2. 

Four-fold Purchase. A tackle 
with two four-fold blocks — Power 
= 8. 

Single Whip. A tackle with a 


single stationary block — Power 

Three-fold Purchase. A tackle 

with two three-fold blocks — 
Power = 6. 

Two-fold Purchase. A tackle 
with two double blocks — Power 

Whip. Same as single whip. 

Whip and Runner. A single 
whip used as a pendant tackle — 
Power = I. 

2. Tackles Used for Special 
Purposes 

Deck Tackle. A heavy double 
purchase used about the decks. 

Gun-tackle Purchase. A tackle 
with two single blocks — Power 
— 2 . 

Handy-billy. Same as watch 
tackle. 

Jigger. Same as watch tackle. 

Long Tackle. A tackle with two 
sets of double single-sheave blocks 
— Power = 4 or 5. 

Luff Tackle. Same as watch 
tackle, but the upper block fitted 
with a tail. 

Luff Upon Luff. A luff tackle 
clapped on to the hauling part of 
another luff—Power = 12 or 16. 

Pendant Tackle. A tackle 
hooked on to a pendant, used prin¬ 
cipally in setting up rigging. 

Relieving Tackle. A tackle of 
double and single blocks rove with 
an endless fall and used to relieve 
the regular tiller tackles. 

Runner. A tackle with a single 
moving block with the end of the 
fall fast — Power = 1. 




TERMS USED 


23 


Runner and Tackle. A runner 
with a watch tackle clapped on to 
the hauling part of the fall — 
Power =4. 

Single Spanish Burton. A tackle 
with three single blocks. Seldom 
used. 

Stay Tackle. A tackle made fast 
to a stay as in hoisting cargo out 
of a hatch. 

Watch Tackle. A tackle with a 
single and a double block, the 
standing part of the fall made fast 
to the single block — Power = 3 or 
4 depending on which is the mov¬ 
able block. 

D. TERMS USED 

Block-and-Block. Same as two 
blocks. 

Chock-a-Block. Same as two 
blocks. 

Choked. The falls foul in a 
block; the falls may be choked in¬ 
tentionally for a temporary secur¬ 
ing. 

Hauling Part. That part of the 
fall of a tackle upon which powei 
is applied. 

Iron-bound. A block fitted with 
a metal strap. 


Leading Part. Same as hauling 
part. 

Mousing. Small stuff seized 
across a hook to prevent it from 
unhooking. 

Overhaul. To separate the 
blocks of a tackle to lengthen the 
fall. 

Reeve. To pass a rope through 
an aperture. 

Render. To pass through freely. 

Standing Part. That part of the 
fall of a tackle which is made fast. 

Tail On. An order to lay hold 
of a rope and pull away. 

Thorough Foot. A fall of a 
tackle which is twisted or a block 
of which has been capsized through 
the falls. 

Two Blocks. When the two 
blocks of a tackle have been drawn 
as close together as possible. 

Veer and Haul. To slack up and 
haul away alternately. 

Up Behind. An order to cease 
pulling and slack up roundly so 
that the gear may be delayed. 

Walk Back. An order to keep 
the gear in hand but walk back with 
it towards the belaying point. 






CHAPTER 5 


Compass, Log and Lead 


A. FITTINGS 
i. Compass Fittings 

Binnacle. The stand, usually of 
brass or composition, in which the 
compass rests and which contains 
the compensating magnets. 

Compass. An instrument for de¬ 
termining courses steered and 
bearings, by indicating the mag¬ 
netic or true North and the ship’s 
head. 

Compass Card. The pivoted 
card-board or tinned brass card of 
a compass carrying the bundles of 
magnets and marked on the periph¬ 
ery in degrees and quarter points. 

Correctors. The permanent 
magnets for correcting semi-circu¬ 
lar deviation, the soft iron spheres 
for correcting quadrantal deviation, 
the vertical bar for correcting heel¬ 
ing error and the vertical soft iron 
Flinders bar. 

■ Dumb Compass. Same as Pe- 
lorus. 

Gimbals. A pair of rings one 
within the other and with axes at 
right angles to one another for 
supporting the compass and main¬ 
taining it horizontal. 

Gyro Compass. A compass con¬ 
sisting of a rapidly spinning rotot 
so swung as to maintain its axis 


in the geographical meridian and 
pointing to the true North. 

Magnet. A polarized piece of 
metal, each end of different polar¬ 
ity. 

Magnetic Compass. A compass 
in which the card carries bundles 
of magnets and thus points to¬ 
wards the magnetic pole. 

Pelorus. An instrument used for 
taking bearings and consisting of 
a circular flat metal ring, on gim¬ 
bals, and mounted on a vertical 
stand. 

Radio Compass. An apparatus 
for obtaining the direction of radio 
sending stations and thus plotting 
a vessel’s position. 

Standard Compass. The c o m - 
pass used by the Navigator as a 
standard. 

Steering Compass. The compass 
by which the ship is steered. 

2. Sounding Fittings 

Breast-band. The band of can¬ 
vas lashed in the chains across the 
breast of the leadsman. 

Chains. The station for the 
leadsman. 

Deep Sea Lead (pronounced dip- 
sea). A lead of 50 pounds weight, 
armed and used with the deep-sea 


24 






TERMS USED 


25 


leadline, which is 120 fathoms or 
over. 

Drift Lead. A hand lead of from 
14 to 20 pounds dropped over the 
side when at anchor to give notice 
if the vessel drags. 

Hand Lead. A lead of from 7 
to 14 pounds used with the hand 
lead line for ascertaining the depth 
of water in entering or leaving 
port. 

Sounding Machine. A machine 
consisting of a drum mounted on 
a stand and carrying the sounding 
wire; it may be unclamped so as 
to revolve freely when paying out 
the wire or may be wound in by 
crank handles. 

Sounding Tube. A tube secured 
above the lead and registering the 
depth of water. 


Patent Log. See taffrail log. 
Rotator. A spindle placed at the 
end of a log line and rotating simi¬ 
larly to a propeller by the action 

/ the water on its radial blades. 

Taffrail Log. The log mounted 
on the taffrail and consisting of a 
rotator, a log line and a recording 
device. 

4. Sound Signal Fittings 
Fessenden Oscillator. A send¬ 
ing and receiving submarine sound¬ 
ing apparatus capable of being 
installed on board ship. 

Submarine Bell. A submerged 
sound transmitting apparatus actu¬ 
ated by timed mechanism as a 
warning of a danger to navigation. 

B. TERMS USED 


3. Speed Measuring Fittings 

Chip Log. A speed measurer 
used on sailing vessels and consist¬ 
ing of a chip or quadrantal sector 
of wood weighted and fitted with 
a bridle and toggle, a log line, and 
a measuring glass. 

Forbes Log. A patent log work¬ 
ing on the principle of the pressure 
of the water along the keel due to 
the speed of the ship; the water 
acts on a screw rotator at the bot¬ 
tom of a tube open fore-and-aft 
and actuates the recording mech¬ 
anism. 

Nicholson Log. A patent log 
working on the principle of the 
pressure of the water along the 
keel due to the speed of the ship; 
the water passes up a vertical tube 
and registers by means of a float. 


1. Compass Terms 

Cardinal Points. The four prin¬ 
cipal points of the compass—North, 
East, South and West. 

Compensate. To correct a com¬ 
pass for magnetic attraction so 
that the compass will point very 
nearly to magnetic north. 

Degree. i/36oth of a circumfer¬ 
ence. 

Intercardinal. The four points 
midway between the cardinal 
points—Northeast, Southeast, 
Southwest and Northwest. 

Lubber’s Point. The vertical 
black line marked on the inner 
surface of the bowl of a compass 
indicating the compass direction 
of the ship’s head. 

Point. One of the 32 divisions 





26 


COMPASS, LOG AND LEAD 


of a compass card and equal to 
11 % degrees. 

2. Sounding Terms 

Arming. The tallow placed in 
the cavity at the bottom of a lead 
for the purpose of bringing up a 
sample of the bottom. 

Deeps. The fathoms of a lead 
line which are not marked. 

Fathom. Six feet. 

Heave the Lead. The operation 
of taking a sounding with the hand 
lead. 

Leadsman. The seaman de¬ 
tailed to the chains for heaving the 
lead. 


Mark. The fathoms of a lead 
line which are marked. 

Watch ho! Watch! The word 
passed along from forward aft in 
heaving the deep-sea lead as a 
warning that the line is running 
out. 

3. Speed Measuring Terms 
Heave the Log. The operation 
of taking a speed measurement by 
use of the chip log. 

4. Sound Signal Terms 
Submarine Signal. A system for 
transmitting and receiving sound 
signals through the water, so that 
the direction of the transmitting 
source may be determined. 



CHAPTER 6 

Boats 


A. PARTS OF BOAT 
i. Names of Parts of Boat 
v Cockpit. The space in a boat 
abaft the cabin. 

Floor. The more or less hori¬ 
zontal portion of the bottom of a 
boat and on which she rests when 
aground. 

Forward Platform. The plat¬ 
form in the eyes of a boat and 
forward of the foremast. 

/Gunwale. The rail of a boat. 

vKeel. The fore-and-aft timber 
from stem to stern post forming 
the backbone of the ship. 

Rising. A narrow s t r a k e of 
board running fore-and-aft out¬ 
board and supporting the thwarts. 

Stern Board. The planking 
serving as a foot-rest for the steers¬ 
man of a boat. 

/Stern Sheets. The space in a 
boat abaft the after thwart. 

2. Permanent Fittings 

Air Tank. A metal air-tight tank 
built into a boat to ensure flotation 
when boat is swamped. 

✓Center Board. A wooden or 
metal board carried in a fore-and- 
aft trunk and capable of being low¬ 
ered to overcome the leeway of a 
boat sailing on the wind. 


(v£leat. A fitting of wood or 
metal with horns, used for secur¬ 
ing lines. 

False Keel. A timber bolted be¬ 
low the main keel as a protection 
for the latter. 

Filling Pieces. Blocks of wood 
fitted athwartship between the 
keel and keelson. 

Footling or Floor-board. Fore- 
and-aft planking fitted on top of 
the keelson. 

Frames. Timbers secured 
athwartship and forming the body 
of a ship or boat. 

Gang-board. The fore-and-aft 
plank running amidships from the 
forward platform to the after 
thwart. 

Keelson. The timber bolted on 
top of the keel and utilized for 
strengthening the ship’s structure. 

Mast Step. The frame on the 
keelson into which the heel of a 
mast is stepped. 

✓Judder Braces. Braces fitted to 
the rudder of a boat. 

Rudder Hanger. A hollow metal 
fitting secured to the stern post of 
a boat and in which the rudder is 
hung. 

Side Bench. The fore-and-aft 
planking fitted outboard over the 


27 




28 


BOATS 


air tanks of a boat so fitted, and to 
protect the tank. 

iStem. The timber at the ex¬ 
treme forward part of a ship se¬ 
cured to the forward end of the 
keel and supporting the bow 
planks. 

<Stern Post. The timber at the 
extreme after part of a ship se¬ 
cured to the after end of the keel. 

.Thwart. The athwartships seats 
in a boat. 

Thwart Stanchions. The ver¬ 
tical stanchions fitted amidships in 
a boat under each thwart, as a sup¬ 
port for the thwart. 

B. BOAT EQUIPMENT 
i. Carried in the Boat at All Times 

Backboard. A rest for the 
steersman’s back, consisting of an 
athwartship vertical board. 

*-Bow Painter. The rope secured 
in the bow of a boat used for se¬ 
curing the boat. 

Canopy Cover. A canvas cover 
secured to frames shipped in the 
rail of a boat as a protection 
against the weather. 

Gudgeons. A support for a rud¬ 
der consisting of metal braces 
bolted to the stern post and with 
eyes to take the pintles of the 
rudder. 

v liank. Metal or wooden rings 
on a stay for securing the luff of a 
headsail. 

Hoisting Pad. A metal piece 
bolted to the bottom of the boat 
and with an eye to which the hoist¬ 
ing rod is bolted. 


Hoisting Rod. A vertical metal 
rod bolted to the hoisting pad and 
to whose upper end the hoisting 
shackle is bolted. 

Hoisting Shackle. A shackle 
bolted to the hoisting rod and to 
which the lower block of the boat 
falls is hooked. 

Horse, or Deck Horse. The iron 
bar or strap fastened to the deck 
and upon which the traveller 
travels. 

Mast. A vertical spar support¬ 
ing the booms, gaffs and sails. 

^Mast Hoop. A wooden hoop 
around a mast to which the luff of 
a fore-and-aft sail is secured. 

✓Oarlock. Same as rowlock. 

vOut-rigger. A spar of wood or 
iron rigged out to give spread to 
standing or running rigging. 

Pintle. A bolt of metal secured 
to the rudder and fitting into the 
gudgeon, for a swinging support 
for the rudder. 

v/Plug. A wooden wedge fitting 
into a plug-hole in the bottom of 
a boat; the hole is for the purpose 
of draining water from the boat. 

Ringbolt. A bolt fitted with a 
ring through its eye, used for lead¬ 
ing running rigging. 

Rowlock. A metal fitting fitted 
into a socket on the rail of a boat 
as a rest for an oar; also the square 
cut into the rail for the same pur¬ 
pose. 

Rudder. A flat wooden shape 
fitted on the stern post by pintles 
swivelling in gudgeons, and for the 
purpose of steering the boat. 

Steering Crutch. A metal swivel 



BOAT EQUIPMENT 


29 


fitting on the quarter rail of a life¬ 
boat as a support for the steering 
oar. 

Sternfast. The rope secured in 
the stern of a boat and used for 
securing the boat. 

Thole-pin. A metal pin fitting 
into a socket on the rail and over 
which a rope grommet is placed to 
serve as a rowlock. 

/Tiller. A short piece of iron or 
wood fitting into the rudder head 
and by which the rudder is turned. 

Traveller. An iron ring for the 
sheet blocks of staysails and fore- 
and-aft sails, sliding athwartships 
along a deck horse. 

2. Removable Equipment 

Awning. A canvas canopy se¬ 
cured over a ship’s deck as a pro¬ 
tection from the weather. 

Becket Rowlock. A rowlock 
formed of a rope grommet secured 
over a thole-pin in a sailing-launch. 

Boat Cloth. A blue cloth thrown 
over the stern-sheets for officer 
passengers. 

Boat Cover. A canvas cover 
used to protect a boat when se¬ 
cured in her cradle. 

Flagstaff. A staff shipped in a 
socket in the stern of a boat for 
the ensign. 

Foot -board. An athwartship 
piece of wood fitting into notches 
and used as a brace for an oars¬ 
man. 

yFurling Line. A small line se¬ 
cured to the mast and used for 
furling a fore-and-aft sail. 


Gasket. A small piece of canvas 
or line used for furling a sail. 

Lee-board. A board used as a 
center-board but secured over the 
side of a flat-bottomed boat. 

Oar. A wooden implement used 
to row a boat. 

Sail Cover. A canvas cover 
used to protect sails from the 
weather, when furled. 

Side Curtain. Canvas secured 
fore-and-aft in canopy cover open¬ 
ings as a protection against spray; 
also canvas spread between the rail 
and the ridge-ropes as a protection 
against the wind. 

Steering Oar. A long heavy oar 
used for steering a life-boat and 
fitting into the steering crutch. 

Stretchers. Foot braces for 
oarsmen and consisting of pieces of 
wood placed athwartships in the 
bottom of a pulling boat. 

3. Additional Equipment or Gear 

Boat Number. The number 
used to designate a ship’s boat; 
boats have two kinds of numbers— 
the Bureau number carved in the 
boat, and the ship’s boat number 
to designate a certain boat. 

Gripes. Metal fastenings for se¬ 
curing a boat in its cradle; canvas 
bands fitted with thimbles in their 
ends and passed from the davit 
heads over and under the boat for 
securing for sea. 

Gripe Lashing. A lashing spliced 
to the legs of the gripes and se¬ 
cured either to the davit head or 
the strongback. 

Lizard. A rope fitted with a 





30 


BOATS 


thimble or thimbles and used as a 
leader for running rigging; a run¬ 
ning lizard is fitted to the middle 
of a life-boat’s falls for use in tak¬ 
ing up the slack when hoisting. 

Sea Painter. A length of rope 
leading from forward on a ship 
outboard of everything and secured 
by toggle to the forward inboard 
thwart of a life-boat when rigged 
for sea; it tends to throw the bow 
of the boat out when it is water¬ 
borne. 

Slings. A fitting for hoisting a 
boat by a boat crane or boom and 
consisting of a metal ring with 
four wire pendants spliced to it. 
Two of these pendants ,are for 
steadying lines athwartships and 
the other pendants shackle to 
chain bridles permanently bolted 
to the keel. 

Strongback. A light spar lashed 
to a pair of boat davits and serv¬ 
ing as a spreader for the davits. 

1 

C. DAVITS AND HOISTING 
GEAR 

Boat-fall. Apurchaseof two 
blocks and a length of rope for 
hoisting a boat to its davits. 

Chafing Mat. A mat woven 
from strands of old rope and used 
to. prevent chafing. 
v Davit. A curved metal spar fit¬ 
ting in a socket on deck and pro¬ 
jecting over the side or stern for 
hanging a boat. 

Davit Guy. A light wire rope se¬ 
cured to an eye on the davit head, 
set up by a lanyard on the rail and 
used to swing and steady a davit. 


Davit Lever. A metal lever fit¬ 
ted at the step of a davit and used 
to lower and hoist the davit from 
its step. 

Ladder. A metal, wooden or 
rope stairway. 

Life-line. A line secured along 
the deck to lay hold of in heavy 
weather; a line thrown on board 
a wreck by a life-saving crew; a 
knotted line secured to the span of 
a life-boat davits for the use of the 
crew when hoisting and lowering. 

Slip-hook. A hook fitted with a 
tripping link so that it may be read¬ 
ily released, as in securing the 
gripes of a life-boat. 

Span. A rope made fast at both 
ends with a purchase hooked to its 
bight; a wire rope between davit 
heads and set up by a turn-buckle. 

Spectacle Eye. A metal piece 
fitted over a davit head and with 
two eyes, one for the guy and the 
other for the span. 

D. STANDING RIGGING 

1 -Backstay. A rope b r a.p i n g a 
mast from aft and leading from 
the mast-head to the rail. 

vBobstay. A rope or chain pre¬ 
venting the bowsprit from jumping, 
and leading from the end of the 
bowsprit to the vessel’s stem. 

‘Bumpkin. A short spar extend¬ 
ing horizontally out from a ship’s 
sides to give a lead to running or 
standing rigging. 

’ Bumpkin Shrouds. Ropes of 
iron securing a bumpkin vertically 
to the vessel’s side. 

’ Gaff Vang. A rope leading from 




SPARS AND FITTINGS 


31 


the peak of a gaff to a vessel’s rail 
and used to steady the gaff. 

•„Guy. A rope used for steadying 
purposes. 

ijackstay. A wooden or iron stay 
bolted to the under side of a gaff 
for securing the head of a fore-and- 
aft sail; also a commonly used 
term for many ropes or rods used 
for securing purposes. 
v Jumperstay. An extra stay from 
the masthead to the rail and set 
up by a tackle. 

Shrouds. Side stays of hemp or 
wire from the masthead to the rail 
and set up by dead-eyes. 
‘•■Spreader. A horizontal iron or 
wooden spar fitted to a mast and 
used to spread the shrouds and 
stays. 

Spring Stay. A horizontal stay 
between lower mastheads. 

Stay. A rope of hemp, wire or 
iron used for supporting a mast. 

Whiskers. Horizontal spars of 
wood or iron projecting on each 
side of the bowsprit and to give 
spread to the jib-boom guys. 

E. RUNNING RIGGING 

Brails. Ropes used for furling 
fore-and-aft sails such as the 
spanker into the mast. They may 
be foot, throat or peak brails. 
vDownhaul. A rope led from the 
head of a headsail and through a 
block at the foot of the stay for 
hauling down the sail. 

Halliards. Ropes used for hoist¬ 
ing gaffs and sails. 

*Head Sheets. The sheets of 
head sails. 


^ Lazy-jack. A length of rope se¬ 
cured at the masthead and with a 
bridle at each end secured to the 
boom, and for the purpose of pre¬ 
venting the sail from falling on 
deck when it is lowered. 

/Outhaul. The rope used to haul 
out the clew and the head of a 
sail that brails in to the mast. 
/Sheet. The rope used to spread 
the clew of head sails and to con¬ 
trol the boom of boom sails. 

'Shroud Whip. Usually called a 
rigging luff, consisting of a gun- 
tackle purchase for setting up 
shrouds. 

vSnorter. A single line fitted 
with an eye secured to the foot of 
a mast to take the heel of a sprit, 
or to the yard of a lug rig into 
which the halliards hook. 

»Tackline. The rope that hauls 
down the tack of a gaff topsail. 

Timonoguy. A rope stretched 
between two points and used to 
prevent gear from fouling, 
whopping Lift. A rope used for 
topping up a boom and taking its 
weight. 

Topping Lift Bridle. Where fit¬ 
ted, the bridle secured to the outer 
end of the boom and through 
which the topping lift is rove. 

F. SPARS AND FITTINGS 

Boathook. A wooden staff with 
a metal hook at one end used for 
fending off or holding on. 

/Boom. A spar used for extend¬ 
ing the foot of a fore-and-aft sail. 
v Bowsprit. A spar extending 
forward from the stem and carry- 



32 


BOATS 


ing the lead of part of the gear for 
the head sails. 

Cap. A wooden block used for 
holding two spars together, such 
as the topmast to the lowermast, 
or the jib-boom to the bowsprit. 

Club Topsail Sprit. The spar to 
which the luff of the club topsail 
is laced—the spar to which the foot 
is laced is called a club. 

'Gaff. The spar to which the 
head of a fore-and-aft sail is se¬ 
cured. 

Goose-neck. An iron hook se¬ 
cured to the inner end of a boom 
having no jaws, and fitting into an 
iron eye carried on the mast. 

Horns. The jaws of a boom or 
gaff. 

t/jaws. The two horns bolted 
one on each side of the inner end 
of a boom or gaff to keep it to the 
mast. 

pjib-boom. A spar rigged out 
beyond the bowsprit and through 
the bowsprit cap. 

Jury Mast. A temporary mast 
rigged to the stump of a mast car¬ 
ried away in heavy weather. 

Mast. A spar projecting ver¬ 
tically and supporting booms, gaffs 
and sails. 

Parrel Lashing. The lashing 
used to keep the gaff of a fore-and- 
aft sail in to the mast. 

■ Sprit. A small spar used to 
hoist the peak of a boomless and 
gaffless sail. The upper end of the 
sprit fits into a grommet or becket, 
and the lower end rests in a snorter 
secured near the foot of the mast. 

Tongue. The block of wood se¬ 


cured between the jaws of a gaff 
and which travels on the mast. It 
is fitted with a bolt between the 
jaws so as to ride smoothly on the 
mast. 

•^Topmast. The mast next above 
the lower mast. 

, Truck. The flat circular piece 
of wood secured at the top of the 
highest mast or at the top of a 
flagstaff. 

/^Yard. A light spar to which the 
head of a lug rig sail is secured; 
in a square-rigged vessel, the spar 
suspended horizontally from the 
mast and to which the head of a 
square sail is bent. 

!/Yard Slings. The middle of the 
yard of a square-rigged vessel; the 
chain suspension of a lower yard. 

G. PARTS OF SAILS 

'Batten. A thin strip of wood 
fitted into a pocket in the leach 
of a fore-and-aft sail to make the 
sail set better. 

v Bolt-rope. The rope around the 
edge of a sail and to which the 
sail is sewed. 

vClew. The after lower corner of 
a fore-and-aft sail. 
x /Foot. The lower edge of a sail. 
.. Head. The upper edge of a sail. 
Lacing. The rope used to lash 
the edge of a sail to a boom or 
gaff. 

Leach. The after edge of a 
fore-and-aft sail. 

Luff. The forward edge of a 
fore-and-aft sail. 

4 Luff-earing. A short length of 



TERMS USED IN PULLING 


33 


rope used to secure the reef cringle 
on the luff of a sail to the foot of 
the sail or to the boom in reefing. 
* / Nock. The forward upper cor¬ 
ner of a boom sail. 

^Peak. The upper after corner 
of a gaff sail. 

^Reef-band. A band of canvas 
sewed across a sail in the wake of 
the reef-points for additional 
strengthening. 

.y Reef-cringle. A thimble"6r~iron“ 

ring spliced in the bolt-rope on the 
leach and the luff of fore-and-aft 
sails in line with the reef-points. 

»• Reef-earing. A short length of 
rope used to secure the reef-cringle 
on the leach of a sail to the boom. 
It must be hauled out through a 
fair-lead on the end of the boom 
and is secured to a cleat on the 
boom. 

-Reef-points. Short lengths of 
rope sewed on each side of the 
reef-band and secured around the 
foot of the sail in reefing. 

'■''Tack. The lower forward corner 
of a fore-and-aft sail. 

N^Throat. The forward upper 
corner of a fore-and-aft sail. 


j/Fore Staysail. The head sail next 
forward of the foremast and set¬ 
ting on the fore stay. 
y^Fore Topmast Staysail. The 
head sail setting on the fore top¬ 
mast stay. 

Gaff Topsail. The topsail set 
over a gaff with its foot spread by 
the gaff. 

vyttead Sails. Sails forward of the 
foremast. 

- Inner Jib. The headsail next 
forward of the fore staysail on cer¬ 
tain sailing types. 

-Jib. A headsail set on a stay 
forward of the foremast, 
wjib Topsail. A headsail on a 
stay forward of the foremast, set¬ 
ting higher up than the jib. 
ijigger. The fourth mast and 
sail from forward on a 5-, 6-, or 
7-masted schooner; the after-mast 
and sail of a yawl. 

.^Mainsail. The sail spread by the 
main gaff and boom. 

Spanker. The after mast and 
sail of a schooner having more 
than three masts. 

Spinnaker. A light racing tri¬ 
angular sail set on a spinnaker 
boom on the opposite side to the 
main boom when sailing free. 
UStaysail. A sail set upon a stay. 
JTopsaiL A sail set over a lower 
sail. 

I. TERMS USED IN PULLING 

Blade. The flat part of the end 
of an oar that is thrust in the water 
when rowing. 


H. SAILS 

After Sails. The sails bent to 
the masts abaft the foremast. 

Club Topsail. A topsail having 
the luff laced to a sprit and the foot 
to a club; used in sailing yachts. 

Driver. A term sometimes used 
for spanker. 

Foresail. The sail spread by the 
fore gaff and boom. 






34 


BOATS 


Boat the Oars. The order to 
place the oars in the boat. 

Catch. The point at the begin¬ 
ning of the stroke when the oar 
takes the water. 

Catch a Crab. To turn the oar 
in the water improperly when row¬ 
ing so that the oar must be thrown 
out of the rowlock to clear it. 

Double-banked. A twelve-oared 
whale boat; where two or more 
oarsmen in any other type of pull¬ 
ing boat man an oar. 

Feather. Turning the blade of 
an oar horizontally at the finish of 
a stroke. 

Give ’way. An order to begin 
pulling. 

Hold Water. An order to check 
a pulling boat’s headway by hold¬ 
ing the blades of the oars ver-* 
tically in the water with the oars 
at right anges to the keel. 

In Bows. An order to the bow 
oarsman or oarsmen to boat their 
oars and stand by with boat-hooks 
for a landing. 

Lay on Oars. An order to a 
pulling boat’s crew to stop pulling 
and to hold their oars with the 
blades horizontal and the oars at 
right angles to the keel of the boat. 

Let Fall. An order to let the 
oars fall from the position toss in¬ 
to the rowlocks. 

Loom. The long part of an oar 
between the blade and the handle. 

Muffled Oars. Oars silenced in 
pulling by soft chafing gear se¬ 
cured around the looms. 

Oars. An order to stop pulling 
temporarily and to lay on oars. 


Out Oars. An order to a pull¬ 
ing boat fitted with trailing oars to 
ship the oars in the rowlocks. 

Pulling an Oar. Rowing. 

Recover. The point at the end 
of the stroke where the oar is 
pulled out of the water; to swing 
the oar back from the end of one 
stroke to the beginning of the next. 

Scull. To propel a boat by 
working an oar from side to side 
over the stern. 

Single-banked. A six-oared 
whaleboat; where a single oars¬ 
man in any other type of pulling 
boat mans an oar. 

Stand by the Oars. An order 
given to prepare to get the oars up 
or out. 

Stern All. An order given to 
propel a boat astern by the use of 
the oars. 

Stroke. The sweep of an oar; 
an order given at the catch of the 
stroke. 

Toss Oars. An order given to 
raise the oars from the rowlocks 
to a perpendicular position, blades 
fore-and-aft, with the handles rest¬ 
ing on the bottom of the boat. 

Up Oars. An order given to 
raise the oars from the boat to a 
position of toss. 

Way Enough. An order given 
to finish the stroke, toss and boat 
the oars. 

J. TERMS USED IN SAILING 

Aback. Same as in stays. 

About. On the other tack. 

Alee. When the helm is put 
over to leeward. 






TERMS USED IN SAILING 


35 


All-aback. When all the sails 
are in stays. 

All in the Wind. When all the 
sails are shaking by being too close 
to the wind. 

Ardent. Said of a sailing craft 
which requires weather helm to 
prevent her from flying up into the 
wind. 


Bare Poles. When no sails 
whatsoever are set. 

Bear Off. To keep a boat clear 
of a dock or another boat. 

Bear Up. To put the helm up 
and let the boat run off to leeward. 

Beating to Windward. Making 
progress against the direction of 
the wind when sailing on the wind 
or close-hauled. 


Belly. Said of a sail when 
swelled out by the wind. 


Blanket. A vessel is blanketed 
when another vessel is in such a 
position to windward as to take the 
wind out of her sails. 


Boxing Off. A term used when 
a vessel’s head is paid off after 
missing stays. 

By the Wind. Sailing close to 
the wind but keeping the sails 


filled. 

/ Close-hauled. Sailing close to 
the wind; same as full-and-by, on 
the wind, or by the wind. 

J Close Reefed. A sail is close 
reefed when it is reduced to the 
smallest area by the last row of 
jteef points. 

v Douse. To take in, or lower a 
sail; to put out a light; to cover 
with water. 


Draw. A sail when bellied out 
by the wind is said to draw. 

Drop. The depth of a square- 
sail amidships. 

Eating to Windward. Same as 
beating to windward. 

Fill Away. The sails are said to 
fill away when they are bellied out 
as the nose of the boat falls off 
from the wind. 

Flatten In. To haul in the 
sheets. 

Flow. To ease out the sheets, 
so as to spill the wind. 

Fore Reach. A vessel fore 
reaches when she shoots ahead to 
windward in tacking. 

Full Spread. Having all sail set. 

Furl. To gather up and secure 
a sail or awning. 

Gain the Wind. To get to wind¬ 
ward of another sailing vessel. 

Go About. To tack. 

Go Free. To sail with the sheets 
£ased and the wind abaft the beam. 

Go Large. Same as to go free. 

Gybe (Sometimes spelled jibe). 
WOTtt 1 sailing free to put the helm 
over so as to bring the boom on 
the opposite side. 

Hand. To furl a sail. 

Haul to Windward (Also called 
hauling her wind). To bring a 
vessel to the wind when sailing 
free. 

Heave To. To bring a vessel’s 
head to the wind and hold her 
there by the use of the sails. 

In Sail. An order to take in the 
sails. 





36 


BOATS 


In Irons. The situation of a ves¬ 
sel having missed stays and when 
she refuses to fall off from the 
wind. 

In Stays. The situation of a ves¬ 
sel when coming about and the 
wind is spilled from the sails. 

Keep Her Full. An order to 
keep the sails filled. 

Keep Her Off. An order to keep 
further from the wind. 

Keep Her Up. An order to keep 
closer to the wind. 

Knocked Down. The situation 
of a vessel when listed over by the 
wind to such an extent that she 
does not recover. 

Let Her Off. An order to let 
the vessel go further from the 
wind. 

Let Her Up. An order to let 
the vessel go closer to the wind. 

Large. Sailing with the wind 
free. 

Long Board. A long stretch on 
one tack. 

Loose. To unfurl a sail. 
y Luff Her. An order to bring the 
vessel into the wind by putting the 
helm down. 

Make Sail. An order to set the 
sails. 

Mend. To mend a furl is to re¬ 
furl a sail which has been improp¬ 
erly furled. 

"i Miss Stays. The situation of a 
vessel which has failed to come 
about. 

No Higher. An order not to let 
the vessel come closer to the wind. 

Off the Wind. Sailing free. 


On the Wind. Sailing close 
hauled. 

Out-foot. To sail faster than 
another vessel. 

Out-point. To sail closer to the 
wind than another vessel. 

Pay Off. To fall off from the 
wind. 

Pilot’s Luff. To make a weather 
mark by pinching her. 

Pinch Her. To sail so close to 
the wind as to allow the sails to 
shiver. 

Plain Sail. The regular work¬ 
ing sails of a vessel. 

Port Tack. The tack on which 
the wind comes over the vessel’s 
port side. 

Press of Sail. All the sail that a 
ve$sel can carry. 

\/Reach. Sailing with a beam 
wind; head reaching is forging 
ahead when lying to; fore reaching 
is forging to windward when tack¬ 
ing. 

Ready About. An order to pre¬ 
pare for coming about. 

Rap Full. With all sails filled 
and not quite close-hauled. 

Reef. To reduce the area of a 
sail by making fast reef points and 
earings. 

Running (free). Sailing with 
the wind astern or on the quarter. 

Sailing Free. Same as running. 

Sailing Trim. The trim of a ves¬ 
sel’s sails; also said of a vessel 
when the sails are so trimmed as 
to make the best possible speed. 

^ Scudding. Driving before a gale. 





GENERAL BOAT TERMS 


37 


Scandalize. To drop the peak 
of a fore-and-aft sail. 

Set Sail. An order to put to 
sea. 

Shake. A vessel’s sails shake 
when the wind is spilled. 

Shake Out. To let out a reef 
and hoist the sail. 

Shiver. Same as shake. 

Short Board. A short stretch on 
one tack. 

Shorten Sail. To take in or reef 
some of the sails. 

Skin. The outside fold of canvas 
of a sail when furled. 

Spill. To empty the wind out 
of a sail. 

Stand by to Wear (gybe). An 
order to prepare for wearing (gyb¬ 
ing). 

'I Starboard Tack. The tack on 
which the wind comes over a ves¬ 
sel’s starboard side. 

Storm Canvas. Small heavy sails 
used in heavy weather to replace 
the regular sails. 

v Tack. To change from one tack 
to another by putting the helm 
down; close-hauled on the wind. 

Take In. To lower and furl the 
sails. 

Touch. Luffing until the leach 
shivers. 

Unfurl. To cast loose a sail by 
throwing off the gaskets. 

Wear. To change from one tack 
to another by putting the helm up. 

Weather Gauge. The situation 
of a vessel to windward of an¬ 
other vessel. 


Wing and Wing. Sailing with 
booms on opposite sides. 

Work Up. To make progress 
to windward. 

K. GENERAL BOAT TERMS 

A-weather. To windward. 

Back. Said of the wind when it 
shifts counter clockwise. 

Bear Down. To approach from 
to windward. 

Bear In. To approach the shore. 

Boat Recall. A signal f r o m a 
ship to recall a certain boat. 

Bring To. To come to an an¬ 
chorage. 

Broaching To. To fly up into 
the wind unintentionally. 

Capsize. To overturn. 

Coxswain. The enlisted man in 
charge of a boat and usually serv¬ 
ing as steersman. 

Drive. To be forced to leeward 
under no control of sails or rudder. 

Ease Her. An order to let her 
go off a little when close-hauled. 

Edge Away. To gradually pay 
off from the shore or from a course. 

Embark. To go on board. 

Falling Home. Said of a ves¬ 
sel’s deck which inclines inboard. 

Falling Off. Paying off from 
the wind. 

Flaring. Said of a vessel’s deck 
which inclines outboard. 

Full Due. Completely; to the 
fullest extent. 

Flying Start. A racing start on 
time signal with a preparatory and 
a starting signal. 





38 


BOATS 


Hard-a-lee. To put the tiller all 
the way down. 

Hard-a-weather. To put the til¬ 
ler all the way up. 

Head to Wind. The situation of 
a vessel in the eye of the wind. 

Hoist Away. An order to haul 
up. 

Housing. The part of a mast 
below the upper deck or the part 
of a bowsprit inboard of the stem. 

In the Wind. So close to the 
wind as to have the wind spilled 
from the sails. 

Keep Away. To alter the course 
from the wind or so as to avoid a 
danger. 

Let Her Ride. An order to al¬ 
low to remain. 

Lie-to. Same as heave-to. 

Lower Away. An order to low¬ 
er down. 

Man the Boat. An order to em- 
ark. 

Mizzen. The third mast from 
forward of a vessel with more than 
two masts. 


Out of Trim. Not properly 

trimmed or ballasted. 

Overlap. The situation where 
an overtaking vessel has forged 
ahead so as no longer to have the 
choice on which side to pass. 

Over-rigged. When a vessel has 
heavier gear than is necessary. 

Over-sparred. When a vessel 
has heavier spars than is necessary. 

Set Taut. An order to take in 
the slack and to take a strain on 
running gear preparatory to heav¬ 
ing it in. 

Shove Off. An order to shove 
clear. 

Slant of Wind. A favorable 
change of direction of wind. 

Sternboard. Progress back¬ 
wards. 

Steadying Line. A line used for 
steadying purposes. 

Up Behind. An order to come 
up on the boatsfalls so as to give 
slack for securing the falls to the 
cleat. 

Weather. To windward. 




CHAPTER 7 

Ground Tackle 


A. TYPES OF ANCHORS 

1. Classification of Types 

Baldt. A patent anchor with the 

shank fitting in the crown by a 
ball and.socket joint. 

Grapnel. A small anchor with 
four arms, used for dragging pur¬ 
poses. 

Grappling Iron. Same as grap¬ 
nel. 

Kedge. A small anchor used 
for kedging, by alternately plant¬ 
ing ahead and hauling the ship up 
to it. 

Old-fashioned. An anchor with 
a stock at right angles to the arms, 
the stock being capable of being 
laid down on the shank; it is fished 
and catted and stows on the bill¬ 
boards. 

Patent. A stockless anchor 
housing in the hawse pipe. 

( 

2. Designation by Stowage 

Bower. An anchor carried on 

each side of the stem. 

Sheet. An anchor carried abaft 
a bower anchor. 

Stem. The center anchor housed 
in the stem hawse pipe. 

Stern. An anchor carried at the 
stern. 

Stream. An anchor of medium 


weight formerly carried at the 
stern but now commonly stowed in 
various locations aboard ship other 
than in the eyes or at the stern. 

B. ANCHOR CABLE 

Bending Shackle. A shackle 
placed with the bowed end aft and 
connecting the chain cable to the 
ring of the anchor. 

Common Link. The ordinary 
studded link of a chain cable. 

Connecting Shackle. A shackle 
placed with the bowed end forward 
and connecting shots of the chain 
cable. 

End Link. The open link next 
abaft the bending shackle. 

Enlarged Link. A link of en¬ 
larged width connecting a common 
link to a short or long-end link or 
to a swivel. 

Forelock Pin. A steel pin lock¬ 
ing the shackle bolt to the shackle. 

Renter Shackle. A shackle late¬ 
ly adopted in the Navy. In size 
and shape it corresponds to the 
ordinary links; it has a bayonet 
joint, and assembles with a stud 
held in place by a pin. 

Links. The cast-steel or 
wrought-steel oval-shaped pieces 
making up the body of a chain 
cable. 


39 





40 


GROUND TACKLE 


Long-end Link. An elongated 
open link connecting the after end 
of a shackle to an enlarged link. 

Mooring Swivel. A large heavy 
swivel with two links and shackles 
attached to each of its parts, for 
use in mooring ship; it is placed 
cup up. 

Navy Standard Shackle. See 

kenter shackle. 

Shackle. A horse-shoe shaped 
piece of iron or steel with eyes in 
the ends, closed by an egg-shaped 
bolt held in place by a forelock 
pin. 

Shackle Bolt. The bolt of a 

shackle. 

Short-end Link. An open link 
connecting the forward end of a 
shackle to an enlarged link. 

Shot. A short length of chain, 
usually of 15 fathoms. 

Studs. Strengthening pieces 
bound across links of a chain 
cable by the cooling of the link. 

Swivel. A metal link with an 
eye at one end fitted so as to swivel 
and thereby keep turns out of the 
chain. A swivel is fitted at S l A 
fathoms. 

C. PARTS OF ANCHORS 

Arm. The elbow at the lower 
end of the shank and terminating 
in the fluke. 

Balancing Ring. The ring fitted 
at the balancing point on the shank 
of an old-fashioned anchor for fish¬ 
ing the anchor. 

Ball. The extremity of the end 
of the stock of an old-fashioned 


anchor; it prevents the end of the 
stock from burying itself. 

Bill. The extreme tip of the 
fluke. 

Blade. The back of the palm. 

Crown. The lowest part of an 
anchor, between the arms. 

Fluke. The flat extremity of the 
arm which bites into the ground. 

Jew’s Harp. The ring bolted to 
the upper end of the shank and to 
which the bending shackle secures. 

Palm. Same as fluke. 

Pea. Same as bill. 

Ring. Same as jew’s harp. 

Shank. The main piece of the 
anchor having the arms at the bot¬ 
tom and the jew’s harp at the top. 

Stock. The crosspiece of an 
old-fashioned anchor, at right 
angles to the arms. 

Throat. The junction of the 
shank and arm. 

Trend. Same as throat. 

D. SECURING GEAR 

Deck Stopper. A rope or wire 
stopper fitted with a stopper knot 
or a toggle and with a lanyard for 
lashing the cable. 

Housing Chain Stopper. A slip 
stopper fitted with a screw turn- 
buckle and used for securing an 
anchor in the hawse pipe. 

Pelican Hook. A hinged hook 
fitted with a tripping-line made fast 
to an eye at the back of the hook; 
used for dropping an anchor clear 
of the ship’s side. 

Ring Stopper. The rope or chain 
securing the upper end of the 


// 





GEAR USED IN HANDLING ANCHORS AND CHAIN 41 


shank of an anchor on the bill¬ 
board to a toe of the tumbler arm. 

Shank Painter. The rope or 
chain securing the fluke of an 
anchor on the bill-board to a 
toe of the tumbler arm. 

Slip Stopper. A chain stopper 
hooked or shackled to the deck and 
fitted with a slip-hook for holding 
the cable. 

E. GEAR USED IN HANDLING 
ANCHORS AND CHAIN 

Anchor Bar. A wooden bar with 
an iron-shod wedge-shaped end, 
used in prying the anchor. 

Bill-board. The flat sloping bed 
for an old-fashioned anchor, just 
abaft the cat head. 

Bitts. A vertical wooden or 
iron timber or timbers projecting 
above the deck and used for secur¬ 
ing gear. 

Capstan. The vertical barrel 
situated on the forecastle and 
geared to the windlass. 

Capstan-bar. A wooden bar 
which may be shipped in the cap¬ 
stan head for heaving the capstan 
around by hand. 

Cat Davit. The davit used for 
the cat fall of an old-fashioned 
anchor. 

Cat Fall. The fall used to cat 
an old-fashioned anchor. 

Cat Head. The timbers project¬ 
ing horizontally in the bows of a 
sailing ship and to which an old- 
fashioned anchor is raised or cat¬ 
ted. 

Chain Hook. Long metal hooks 
used in handling chain cable. 


Clear Hawse Pendant. A short 
piece of open-link chain fitted with 
a slip or pelican hook and tailed 
with wire rope; used in clearing 
hawse. 

Compressor. A curved iron bar 
swivelled to the under side of the 
deck at a chain-pipe and with an 
eye on the end for taking a tackle; 
it is used to snub the chain. 

Controller. A fitting in the eyes 
over which a chain cable leads, and 
with a block which may be raised 
and which holds the cable by 
holding a link in a groove of the 
block. 

Devil’s Claw. A strong iron 
hook used as a stopper for chain 
cable. 

Dip Rope. A length of open- 
link chain or wire fitted with an 
eye and shackle and tailed with a 
manila rope; used in clearing 
hawse and in mooring. 

Easing-out Line. A line used in 
clearing hawse and in mooring, for 
easing out a chain which has been 
unshackled. 

Fish Hook. A large iron hook 
used to catch the arm of an old- 
fashioned anchor and to hoist the 
fluke onto the bill-board. 

Fish Davit. The davit used in 
fishing an anchor. 

Fish Tackle. The tackle used in 
fishing an anchor. 

Gypsey. The drum of a wind¬ 
lass or winch to which a line may 
be taken for heaving in. 

Hawse Buckler. An iron plate 
covering a hawse hole. 

Hook Rope. A rope fitted with 




42 


GROUND TACKLE 


a hook at one end, for use in 
handling chain cable. 

Jackass. A conical canvas stop¬ 
per stuffed with tarred oakum and 
hove tight into a between-deck 
hawse pipe as a watertight stop¬ 
per. 

Preventer Hawser. A hawser 
used in clearing hawse and secured 
to the chain as a preventer near 
the slip-hook of the clear hawse 
pendant. 

Wildcat. A sprocket wheel on 
the windlass for taking the links 
of a chain cable. 

Winch. An engine secured on 
deck and fitted with drums or 
gypseys driven on a horizontal 
axle. 

Windlass. An anchor engine 
used for heaving in the chain cable 
and anchor. 

F. TERMS USED IN HAN¬ 
DLING GROUND TACKLE 

Apeek. Said of an anchor when 
hove in so that the chain leads up 
and down. 

Atrip. Said of an anchor when 
it clears the bottom in heaving in. 

Athwart-hawse. Across a ves¬ 
sel’s cable or stem. 

Bite. To take hold. 

Bitt. To take a turn around the 
bitts with the cable so that it may 
be held fast or veered. 

Break Ground. Said of an 
anchor when it lifts clear of the 
bottom. 

Cast. To pay a vessel’s head off 
in getting underway. 


Cat. To heave an anchor up to 
the cathead and secure it there. 

Clap On. To lay hold; to make 

more sail. 

Clear Hawse. Chain leading 
clear and directly to the anchors 
when two anchors are down; the 
operation of clearing the hawse of 
turns. 

Cockbill. To hang an anchor 
up and down clear of the water. 

Come Home. Said of an anchor 
when it drags towards the ship in 
heaving in. 

Dragging Anchor. To haul the 
anchor along the bottom when it 
fails to hold. 

Elbow. Two crosses in a 

hawse. 

Fish. To heave the flukes of an 
anchor to the bill-board. 

Flying Moor. A moor in which 
the first anchor is let go while the 
vessel has way on. 

Foul Anchor. Said of an anchor 
when the cable is twisted about it. 

Foul Hawse. Said of the hawse 
when moored and the chain does 
not lead clear of the other chain. 

Girt. Said of a vessel when 
moored with such a taut mooring 
that she does not swing to tide or 
wind. 

Grip. Said of an anchor when 
it bites and holds. 

Heave In. To haul in. 

Heave Round. To revolve the 
drum of a capstan, winch or wind¬ 
lass. 

Heave Short. To heave in until 



43 


TERMS USED IN HANDLING GROUND TACKLE 


the vessel is riding nearly over her 
anchor. 

Housing Anchor. A patent 
anchor with arms swivelling on the 
shank; the anchor will house itself 
in the hawse pipe when hove up. 

Jury Anchor. A heavy weight 
used as an anchor. 

Kedge. To move a vessel by 
alternately laying out a kedge 
anchor and hauling the vessel up 
to it. 

Killock. A stone anchor. 

Open Hawse. Same as clear 
hawse. 

Pawls. Short iron bars at the 
base of a capstan head to prevent 
the barrel from turning backwards. 

Range of Cable. A length of 
cable overhauled on deck out of 
the locker, so as to-pay out when 
the anchor is dropped. 

Round Turn. Three crosses in 
a hawse. 

Scope. The length of chain out. 

Shod. An anchor fitted with a 
shoe. 

Short Stay. When the anchor is 
nearly under the hawse hole. 


Shoe. A piece of wood placed 
over the fluke of an anchor to pro¬ 
tect the ship’s side in hoisting. 

Sight the Anchor. To heave an 
anchor up to the water’s edge to 
make sure it is clear; it is then 
again let go. 

Slip. To unshackle a cable and 
let it run out. 

Stowing Anchor. An anchor 
stowed on deck other than on the 
bill-board. 

Stream. To drop over an anchor 
buoy previous to letting go the 
anchor. 

Tend. The direction of the cable 
when anchored. 

Tier. To stow the cable in the 
chain locker. 

Unbitt. To cast the turns of a 
cable off the bitts. 

Under-foot. When the anchor 
is directly under the hawse hole. 

Unmoor. To heave up one 
anchor, leaving the other down. 

Up and Down. Perpendicular. 

Veer. To pay out. 

Weigh. To lift the anchor off 
the bottom. 





CHAPTER 8 

Rules of the Road 


A. LIGHTS 

Anchor Lights. The riding light 
carried on the fore stay by a ves¬ 
sel at anchor, and the additional 
white light carried at the stern by 
large vessels. 

Masthead Light. The white run¬ 
ning light carried by steam vessels 
underway on the foremast or in 
the forepart of the vessel. 

Range Light. The white run¬ 
ning light sometimes carried by 
steam vessels underway at the af¬ 
ter masthead. 

Riding Light. Same as anchor 
light. 

Running Lights. The lights car¬ 
ried by a vessel when underway. 

Screened Light. A light placed 
in a box the sides of which will 
permit the light to be visible only 
in a certain arc. 

Side Lights. The red and green 
running lights carried on the port 
and starboard bows respectively of 
vessels underway. 

Speed Light. The light at the 
after truck of men-of-war showing 
white or red and indicating changes 
in speed. 

Steering Light. The small 
white light sometimes carried 
abaft the funnel or aftermast by a 


towing vessel, for the vessel towed 
to steer by. 

Stern Light. The white running 
light shown at the stern of an 
overtaken vessel. 

Towing Light. The white light 
or lights carried by a towing ves¬ 
sel in addition to and above the 
masthead light. 

B. SIGNALS 

Coston Signals. Colored fire¬ 
works sometimes used for signal¬ 
ling purposes. 

Cross Signal. A sound signal 
made in answer to another vessel’s 
change of course signal, and indi¬ 
cating a desire to pass on the op¬ 
posite side to that indicated by the 
first vessel. 

Distress Signal. A flag display 
or a sound or light signal calling 
for assistance. 

Distance Signals. Shapes, flags, 
and pennants displayed according 
to a code and used for signalling 
when ordinary code flags cannot 
be made out at the distance re¬ 
quired. 

Flare-up. A light signal de¬ 
signed to blaze or flare up. 

Fog Horn. A sound signal de¬ 
vice operated by the mouth or by 
mechanical appliance. 


44 



BUOYAGE 


45 


Fog Signal. A sound signal 
used in thick weather. 

Recognition Signal. A flag dis¬ 
play or a sound or light signal used 
to disclose a vessel’s identity. 

Shape. A ball or cone used in 
distance signals. 

Very’s Signals. Red and white 
rockets fired in a pistol and used 
in a special code for signalling pur¬ 
poses. 

C. BEARINGS 

Abaft the Beam. The bearing of 
an object more than 90 degrees 
from ahead. 

Abeam. The bearing of an ob¬ 
ject 90 degrees from ahead. 

Amidships. In the center fore- 
and-aft line of the ship; in the mid¬ 
dle of the ship. 

Astern. The bearing of an ob¬ 
ject 180 degrees from ahead. 

Bearing. The direction of an 
object. 

Broad on the Bow. The bearing 
of an object 45 degrees from ahead. 

Broad on the Quarter. The 
bearing of an object 135 degrees 
from ahead. 

Dead Ahead. Directly ahead on 
the extension of the fore-and-aft 
line of the ship. 

On the Bow. The bearing of an 
object from o to 45 degrees from 
ahead. 

On the Beam. Same as abeam. 

On the Quarter. The bearing of 
an object from 135 to 180 degrees 
from ahead. 

Point. One of the 32 divisions 
of a compass. 


Quarter. That portion of a ves¬ 
sel’s sides near the stern. 

To Leeward. Away from the 
wind. 

To Windward. Towards the 
wind. 

D. BUOYAGE 

Beacon. A navigational mark 
placed on a danger—it may be ball, 
cage or perch. 

Bell Buoy. A buoy fitted with a 
bell actuated by the sea. 

Can Buoy. A cylindrical buoy 
found on the port hand on entering 
a channel, and painted black. 

Channel Buoy. A buoy marking 
the sides of a channel. 

Danger Buoy. A buoy marking 
a danger to navigation. 

Lighted Buoy. A buoy fitted 
with a light. 

Midchannel Buoy. A buoy 
placed in the middle of a channel 
and painted with white and black 
vertical stripes. 

Mooring Buoy. A buoy fitted 
with a ring and used for mooring 
a ship. 

Nun Buoy. A buoy with a con¬ 
ical top found on the starboard 
hand on entering a channel and 
painted red. 

Perch. A stake marking a shoal. 

Quarantine Buoy. A buoy 
painted yellow and marking a 
quarantine anchorage. 

Sea Buoy (Farewell Buoy). A 
large buoy marking the seaward 
approach to a channel. 

Spar Buoy. A long spar project- 



46 


RULES OF THE ROAD 


ing vertically above water and with 
its lower end anchored. 

Turning Buoy. A buoy marking 
a turn in a channel. 

Whistling Buoy. A buoy fitted 
with a whistle actuated by the sea. 

Wreck Buoy. A buoy painted 
with red and black horizontal 
stripes and marking a wreck. 

E. TERMS USED 

Cable Ship. A vessel fitted and 
used for handling a submarine 
cable. 

Crossing. Standing across an¬ 
other vessel’s bows. 

Drag Net. A net used by a fish¬ 
ing vessel and dragged along the 
bottom. 

Dredge. A vessel engaged in 
digging a channel. 

Drift Net. A net used by a fish¬ 
ing vessel and floating to windward 
of the vessel. 

Inland Rules. The rules of the 
road enacted by Congress and gov¬ 
erning the navigation of inland 
waters of the U. S. 

International Rules. The rules 
of the road established by agree¬ 
ment between maritime nations 
and governing the navigation of 
the high seas. 

Line Fisher. A fishing vessel 
utilizing a buoyed line lightly an¬ 
chored at the other end. 

Lookout. The man stationed 
aloft or in the bows for observing 
and reporting objects seen. 

Moderate Speed. The speed low 


enough under existing visibility 
conditions to enable a vessel to 
avoid collision when a danger is 
sighted. 

Not Under Command. Said of a 
vessel when she will not answer 
to her rudder or engines. 

Not Under Control. Same as 
not under command. 

Open Boat. A boat which is not 
decked over. 

Overtaking. Said of a vessel 
when she is overhauling or over¬ 
taking another vessel. 

Overtaken. Said of a vessel 
when she is being overhauled or 
overtaken by another vessel. 

Pilot Rules. The rules supple¬ 
menting the Inland Rules and es¬ 
tablished and published by the 
Board of Supervising Inspectors of 
steam vessels. 

Prolonged. A blast of from 4 
to 6 seconds’ duration. 

Rules of the Road. The regula¬ 
tions governing navigation. 

Sail Ho! The hail from a look¬ 
out to notify that a vessel has been 
sighted. 

Sea-going. Capable of putting 
to sea. 

Steam Trawler. A trawler fitted 
with steam propulsion. 

Trawler. A fishing vessel fitted 
with a trawl which she drags over 
the bottom. 

Underway. Having way or prog¬ 
ress. 

Visible. Capable of being seen 
on a dark night with a clear atmos¬ 
phere. 



CHAPTER 9 


Weather 


A. CLOUDS 

i. The Five Main Cloud Levels 

Cirrus. The highest clouds, de¬ 
tached and delicate, in the form of 
white feathers. 

Cirro-cumulus. Clouds of the 
next to the highest level and form¬ 
ing small globular masses. 

Alto-cumulus. Clouds of the 
third highest level and forming 
large globular masses. 

Cumulus. The next to the low¬ 
est clouds, dpme shaped on top and 
horizontal at the base. 

Stratus. The lowest clouds, 
forming a horizontal sheet of lifted 
fog. 

2. Intermediate Cloud Levels 

Cirro-stratus. Clouds forming a 
thin whitish sheet. 

Alto-stratus. Clouds forming a 
thick grayish or bluish sheet. 

Strato-cumulus. Dark clouds of 
large globular masses or rolls, with 
a horizontal base. 

Nimbus. A thick layer of dark 
clouds without shape, from which 
rain or snow generally falls. 

Cumulo-nimbus. Heavy masses 
of mountain-shaped clouds, known 
as the thunder cloud. 


B. INSTRUMENTS 

Aneroid Barometer. A mechan¬ 
ical barometer containing no liquid. 

Barometer. An instrument reg¬ 
istering the pressure of the atmos¬ 
phere. 

Clinometer. An instrument for 
measuring the degree of roll or 
heel. 

Dog-vane. Bunting rigged and 
used to show the direction of the 
wind. 

Dry Bulb Thermometer. An in¬ 
strument for measuring the tem¬ 
perature of the dry air. 

Glass. A term used by mariners 
for barometer. 

Mercurial Barometer. A barom¬ 
eter containing mercury and reg¬ 
istering by the level of a column 
of mercury under the influence of 
the atmospheric pressure. 

Wet Bulb Thermometer. An 
instrument for measuring the 
temperature of the moist air; by 
comparison with the dry bulb ther¬ 
mometer the relative humidity of 
the atmosphere is measured. 

C. WINDS 
i. Beautort Scale 

Calm. Force of wind from o to 
3 nautical miles per hour. 


47 



48 


WEATHER 


Light Airs. Force of wind about 
7 nautical miles per hour, or just 
sufficient to give steerage way to 
a sailing vessel. 

Light Breezes. Force of wind 

about ii nautical miles per hour, 

or i to 2 knots speed to a sailing 
vessel. 

Gentle Breeze. Force of wind 

about 16 nautical miles per hour, 

or 3 to 4 knots speed to a sailing 
vessel. 

Moderate Breeze. Force of wind 
about 20 nautical miles per hour, 
or 5 to 6 knots speed to a sailing 
vessel. 

Fresh Breeze. Force of wind 
about 24 nautical miles per hour, 
or to allow a sailing vessel to carry 
all plain sail. 

Strong Breeze. Force of wind 
about 30 nautical miles per hour, 
or to necessitate a single reef in a 
sailing vessel. 

Moderate Gale. Force of wind 
about 35 nautical miles per hour, 
or to necessitate a double reef in 
a sailing vessel. 

Fresh Gale. Force of wind about 
42 nautical miles per hour, or to 
•necessitate three reefs in a sailing 
vessel. 

Strong Gale. Force of wind 
about 49 nautical miles per hour, 
or to necessitate close reefs in a 
sailing vessel. 

Whole Gale. Force of wind 
about 56 nautical miles per hour, 
or to necessitate close reefs and 
shortened sail in a sailing vessel. 

Hurricane. Force of wind over 
80 nautical miles per hour, or to 


necessitate a sailing vessel to lie 
to under bare poles. 

2. General and Specific Terms 

Cat’s Paw. The slight ruffling 
of the surface of the water caused 
by passing flaws of wind in calm 
airs. 

Cyclone. A revolving wind 
storm of great intensity. 

Gale. A heavy wind not of a 
cyclonic nature. 

Monsoon. A wind found in the 
China Sea and Indian Ocean caused 
by a barometric gradient, and 
blowing for months in the same 
direction. 

Passage Winds. Same as west¬ 
erlies. 

Squall. A sudden and violent 
gust of wind. 

Storm. Force of wind about 65 
nautical miles per hour, or to neces¬ 
sitate a sailing vessel to lie to 
under storm staysails. 

Storm Wave. The advancing 
edge of a storm. 

Trades. The practically steady 
winds found in the tropics and 
blowing towards the equator—NE 
in the Northern and SE in the 
Southern hemisphere. 

Tropical Hurricane. A tropical 
cyclonic storm. 

Typhoon. A violent hurricane 
found in the China Sea and Indian 
Ocean at the change of the mon¬ 
soons. 

Westerlies. The prevailing winds 
of the temperate zone, especially 
steady in the southern hemisphere. 



TERMS USED 


49 


D. TERMS USED 
i. Wind 

Anti- cyclone. An outflowing 
spiral eddy of wind. 

Beam Wind. A wind at right 
angles to a vessel’s course. 

Becalmed. Said of a vessel when 
in a calm. 

Circular Storm. A revolving 
storm. 

Dangerous Semi-circle. The 
semi-circle of a circular storm to¬ 
wards the equator before the storm 
recurves and the one in which a 
ship is drawn in towards the 
storm’s center. 

Doldrums. The belt on each 
side of the equator in which little 
or no wind ordinarily blows. 

Fair Wind. A favoring wind. 

Flat Calm. An absolute calm 
with a flat sea. 

Flaw. A sudden gust of wind. 

Great Guns. A violent wind. 

Horse Latitudes. The latitudes 
on the outer margins of the trades 
where the prevailing winds are 
light and variable. 

Land Breeze. A breeze from the 
direction of the land, as commonly 
experienced in the tropics at night. 

Navigable Semi-circle. The 
semi-circle of a circular storm 
furthest away from the equator 
before the storm recurves, and in 
which a vessel is thrown away 
from the center of the storm. 

Revolving Storm. A circular 
storm. 

Roaring Forties. The belt in 
the southern temperate zone where 


the westerlies are of boisterous 
nature. 

Scud. Low-lying mist clouds. 

Spanking. Large and satisfac¬ 
tory—as a spanking breeze. 

Storm Track. The path of a 
storm. 

Storm Warning. A warning of 
the approach of a storm. 

Teeth. Directly towards the 
wind. 

Velocity of Translation. The 

speed of being carried along—usu¬ 
ally referring to a storm center. 

Wind-bound. Said of a vessel 
when forced to lie at anchor due to 
strong or contrary winds. 

Weather Tide. A tide setting to 
windward. 

2. Sea and Tide 

Beam Sea. A sea at right angles 
to a vessel’s course. 

Breach. A clear breach is said 
of seas that break entirely over a 
vessel; a clean breach, when a clear 
breach carries away masts and 
rails. 

Drift. The amount of leeway of 
a vessel, or of a tide or current. 

Green Sea. A large body of 
water taken aboard. 

Ground Swell. The swell en¬ 
countered in shoal water and 
which is practically constant. 

Neap Tide. A tide of minimum 
range coming at the first and third 
quarter of the moon. 

Neaped. Said of a vessel when 
aground at the height of a spring 
tide. 




50 


WEATHER 


Set. The direction of the leeway 
of a vessel or of a tide or current. 

Slack Water. The condition of 
the tide when there is no horizontal 
motion. 

Spring Tide. A tide of maximum 
range coming at the new and full 
moons. 

Stand. The condition of the 
tide when there is no vertical mo¬ 
tion. 

Tide-rip. Waves and eddies 
caused by the tide in shoal water. 

Tide-way. The part of a chan¬ 
nel in which the tide ebbs and 
flows. 

Trough. The hollow between 
two waves. 

Undercurrent. The sub-surface 
current where there is no surface 
current, or where the surface 
current runs in the opposite direc¬ 
tion. 

Undertow. Same as undercur¬ 
rent but usually referring to surf. 

White Cap. The white froth on 
the crests of waves. 

3. Clouds and Weather 

Barometric Gradient. The 
amount of difference in the read¬ 
ings of a barometer for a given 
distance. 

Barometric Tide. The daily nor¬ 
mal fluctuation of the barometer. 

Barometric Pressure. The at¬ 
mospheric pressure as registered 
by the barometer. 


Cloud Bank. A bank of clouds. 

Dew Point. The point of satura¬ 
tion of the air and beyond which 
the air condenses. 

Falling Glass. Lowering atmos¬ 
pheric pressure as registered by 
the barometer. 

Fog Bound. Said of a vessel 
when forced to lie at anchor due 
to a fog. 

Forecast. A weather prediction. 

High. An area of high atmos¬ 
pheric pressure. 

Isobar. A curve of equal atmos¬ 
pheric pressures. 

Isotherm. A curve of equal at¬ 
mospheric temperatures. 

Leaden. Said of the skies when 
of a dull leaden hue. 

Low. An area of low atmos¬ 
pheric pressure. 

Metereological. Pertaining t o 
the weather. 

Mirage. An optical phenomenon 
due to excessive refraction and 
displacing vertically objects on the 
horizon. 

Plume. A long cloud in the 
form of a plume. 

Precipitation. Rain or snow. 

Rising Glass. Rising a t m o s - 
pheric pressure as registered by the 
barometer. 

Spoon Drift. The spray and 
water driven from the top of the 
waves in a storm. 

Veil. A thin cloud covering. 





TERMS USED 


51 


4. Other Terms 

Coming-up Tack. The tack on 
which a sailing vessel lies to in a 
circular storm when the change 
of direction of the wind will keep 
bringing her up or further to wind¬ 


ward of her original compass 
course. 

Land- locked. Surrounded by 
land. 

Sea Anchor. A drag thrown 
over to keep a vessel to the wind 
and sea. 



CHAPTER 10 


Flags 


A. FLAGS 

Bunting. Woolen flag material. 

Burgee. A swallow tailed pen¬ 
nant. 

Ensign. The national flag. 

Fly. The end of a flag away 
from the halliards. 

Hoist. The inner or halliard 
edge of a flag; a display of flags 
on a halliard. 

Jack. The flag similar to the 
union of the national flag. 

Jolly Roger. A pirate's flag 
carrying the skull and cross-bones. 

Meal Pennant. The red pennant 
flown at the yardarm of men-of- 
war during meal hours. 

Pennant. A three-sided flag. 

Tack Line. A short length of 
line used to separate flags in a 
hoist. 

Union. The inner upper corner 
of a flag. 

B. OTHER SIGNAL 
APPARATUS 

Blinker Tube. A tube carrying 
a signal light capable of being 
operated to indicate dots and 
dashes; the tube directs the beam 
of light. 

Buzzer. A sounding device used 


on board ship in transmitting mes¬ 
sages by Morse Code. 

Lyle Gun. A gun used in the 
life-saving service to throw a life¬ 
line to a ship in distress. 

Rocket. A light display fired in 
the air as a signal. 

Searchlight. A powerful light 
with a reflector; when fitted with 
a shutter it may be used for sig¬ 
nalling. 

Semaphore. A c o d e indicated 
by the position of the arms. 

Torch. A light used in signal¬ 
ling. 

Wig-Wag. A code indicated by 
sweeps of a flag to the right, left 
or front. 

Yard-arm Blinker. A signal 
light carried on the yard-arm of 
men-of-war and operated to indi¬ 
cate dots and dashes. 

C. TERMS USED 

Break. A term used to indicate 
a pause between words or letters. 

Code. A combination of sym¬ 
bols used in transmitting messages. 

Dash. A long period of light or 
sound in the Morse Code. 

Dip. A position of a flag when 
hoisted part way of the hoist; to 


52 




TERMS USED 


53 


lower a flag part way and then 
hoist it up again. 

Dot. A short period of light or 
sound in the Morse Code. 

Dressing Lines. The lines used 
in dressing ship. 

Dressing Ship. A display of 
flags over the mast-heads and down 
to the stem and stern, used on spe¬ 
cial dress occasions. 


Fag. Ragged. 

Half-mast. The position of a 
flag when hoisted half way. 

Key. The pivoted arm used to 
make and break the circuit in the 
Morse Code. 

Morse Code. A code consisting 
of dots and dashes, and a modifica¬ 
tion of the International Morse 
Code by the elimination of pauses. 



CHAPTER 11 


Docking 


A. LINES USED 
i. General Terms 

Bow Line. A mooring or dock¬ 
ing line led forward through a bow 
chock and making a less angle 
than 45 degrees with the fore-and- 
aft line of the vessel. 

Breast. A mooring or docking 
line leading at an angle of about 
90 degrees with the fore-and-aft 
line of the vessel. 

Spring. A mooring or docking 
line leading at an angle of about 
45 degrees with the fore-and-aft 
line of the vessel. 

Stern Line. A mooring or dock¬ 
ing line leading aft through a stern 
or quarter chock and making a 
less angle than 45 degrees with the 
fore-and-aft line of the vessel. 

2. Specific Inshore Moorings 

Bow Breast. A breast line from 
forward keeping the bow in to the 
dock; always used in mooring or 
docking. 

Quarter Breast. A breast line 
from the quarter keeping the stern 
in to the dock; always used in 
mooring or docking. 

Forward Bow Spring. A b o w 
spring leading forward, checking a 
vessel from coming astern; gen¬ 


erally used in mooring or docking. 

After Bow Spring. A bow 
spring leading aft, checking a ves¬ 
sel from going ahead; generally 
used in mooring or docking. 

Forward Quarter Spring. A 
spring from the quarter leading 
forward, checking a vessel from 
coming astern; generally used in 
mooring or docking. 

After Quarter Spring. A spring 
from the quarter leading aft, check¬ 
ing a vessel from going ahead; 
generally used in mooring or dock¬ 
ing. 

Forward Waist Spring. A spring 
from amidships leading forward, 
checking a vessel from coming 
astern; sometimes used in mooring 
or docking. 

Waist Breast. A breast line 
from amidships, keeping a vessel 
in to the dock; sometimes used in 
mooring or docking. 

After Waist Spring. A spring 
from amidships leading aft, check¬ 
ing a vessel from going ahead; 
sometimes used in mooring or 
docking. 

3. Specific Offshore Moorings 

Bow Mooring. A chain offshore 
mooring leading forward from the 


54 




OTHER GEAR AND FITTINGS USED 


55 


bow to an anchor; used for perma¬ 
nent moorings. 

Bow Breast Mooring. A chain 
offshore mooring leading as a 
breast from forward to an anchor; 
used for permanent moorings. 

Quarter Breast Mooring. A 
chain offshore mooring leading as 
a breast from the quarter to an 
anchor; used for permanent moor¬ 
ings. 

Quarter Mooring. A chain off¬ 
shore mooring leading aft from 
the quarter to an anchor; used for 
permanent moorings. 

B. OTHER GEAR AND FIT¬ 
TINGS USED 

After Brow. The brow thrown 
over aft. 

Bow Chock. A chock fitted in 
the bow of a vessel; the bow tow¬ 
ing chock is a large pair of chocks 
over the stem. 

Bollard. An upright post on a 
dock to which mooring lines are 
secured. 

Brow. A portable wooden 
bridge fitted on trucks at the mid¬ 
dle and each end; used for com¬ 
munication between a moored ves¬ 
sel and the dock. 

Brow Truck. The truck upon 
which a brow rolls. 

Camel. A wooden float placed 
between a vessel and the dock, to 
fend off. 

Fender Spar. A spar used in¬ 
stead of a camel to fend off a 
moored vessel from the dock. 

Float. A decked over raft some¬ 
times moored alongside the foot of 


an accommodation ladder when 
many visitors are expected on 
board. 

Forward Brow. The brow 
thrown over to the forecastle. 

Mooring Chain. A chain some¬ 
times used in place of or in addi¬ 
tion to other lines, in mooring a 
vessel to a dock. 

Mooring Staple. A large iron 
staple bolted to a vessel’s side for 
the lead of mooring chains. 

Pile. A pointed spar driven into 
the bottom and projecting above 
the water; when driven at the 
corners of a dock they are termed 
fender piles. 

Ring Bolt. A bolt driven in 
flush with a deck or dock, and with 
a ring at the top for securing lines 
and gear. 

Spur Shore. A wooden spar 
used to hold a vessel clear of a 
dock, fitted at the dock end with a 
truck and heel chains, and at the 
ship end with ring bolts for secur¬ 
ing. 

Spur Shore Heel Chain. The 

chain secured to cleats or bollards 
on a dock and to a half chock at 
the heel of a spur shore. 

Spur Shore Shoe. A wooden 
block used as a rest for a spur 
shore against a vessel’s side. 

Spur Shore Truck. A truck on 
the dock supporting the heel of a 
spur shore. 

Stern Chock. A chock fitted in 
the stern of a vessel; the stern tow¬ 
ing chock consists of two large 
round chocks directly over the 
stern. 




56 


DOCKING 


Thrum Mat. A mat used to pre¬ 
vent chafing; specifically the mat 
placed between a vessel’s side and 
a spur shore shoe. 

Warping Chock. A chock used 
for warping or hauling along a ves¬ 
sel at a dock. 

C. DRY-DOCK TERMS 

Alter. A step of a dry dock. 

Bilge Blocks. The built up 

wooden blocks at the bottom of a 
dry dock upon which a vessel’s 

bilge rests when in dock. 

Bilge Ways. The paths across 
which the bilge blocks may be 
hauled in placing them for a ves¬ 
sel about to go into dock. 

Caisson. The gate to a dry 

dock, either floating or sliding. 


Docking Keel. A keel fitted 
near the turn of the bilge of a ves¬ 
sel and used as a rest for the ship 
in dry dock. 

Docking Plan. The ship’s plan 
furnishing all necessary informa¬ 
tion for docking purposes concern¬ 
ing the under-waterhull. 

Keel Block. The line of wooden 
blocks at the bottom of a dry dock 
to take a vessel’s keel. 

Port Sill. The raised sill at the 
entrance to a drydock on which the 
caisson rests when in a closed 
position. 

Wale Shore. A spar used to 
keep a ship upright in dock, one 
end resting against the ship’s side 
and the other against the side of 
the dock, wedges being inserted 
to set it tight. 


/■/ 







CHAPTER 12 


Handling Steamers 


A. SPEED 

Flank Speed. One quarter more 
than standard speed. 

Full Speed. One eighth more 
than standard speed. 

One Third Speed. One third of 
standard speed. 

Standard Speed. The prescribed 
speed as indicated by signal. 

Steerage Way. The slowest 
speed at which a vessel will steer. 

Two Thirds Speed. Two thirds 
of standard speed. 

B. SPEED APPLIANCES 

Engine -room Telegraph. The 

mechanical signal apparatus be¬ 
tween a steering station and the 
engine-room for signalling the 
speed desired. 

Revolution Counter. A mechan¬ 
ical or electrical device indicating 
the number of revolutions of the 
propeller shafts. 

Revolution Telegraph. The 

mechanical signal apparatus be¬ 
tween a steering station and the 
engine-room for signalling the ex¬ 
act desired number of revolutions 
of the propeller shafts. 

C. RUDDER FITTINGS 

Balanced Rudder. A rudder a 


part of whose area is forward of 
the axis of rotation. 

Gudgeons. The lugs on the af¬ 
ter side of the stern post or rudder 
post and bored out to take the pint¬ 
les by which the rudder is hung. 

Hand Steering Gear. Steering 
gear operated with no other power 
than hand. 

Pintles. The pins or bolts se¬ 
cured to the forward edge of the 
rudder and fitting into the gud¬ 
geons. 

Quadrant. The metal fitting on 
the rudder head of some vessels 
and to which the steering ropes 
are attached. 

Rudder Frame. The frame or 
main part of a rudder usually cov¬ 
ered with plating, and with the 
space between filled with white 
pine. 

Rudder Hanger. A hollow metal 

fitting secured to the stern post of 
a boat and in which the rudder is 
hung. 

Rudder Cross-head. An athwart- 
ship metal piece bolted and keyed 
to the top of the rudder post and 
to which the links of the travelling 
nut of the steering gear are se¬ 
cured. 

Rudder Head. The top of the 
rudder post. 


57 



58 


HANDLING STEAMERS 


Rudder Indicator. A mechan¬ 
ical or electrical tell-tale showing 
the rudder angle. 

Rudder Post. The vertical post 
in single screw vessels upon which 
the rudder swings. 

Rudder Stock. That part of a 
rudder by which it is pivoted to 
the stern post or rudder post. 

Spoke. A handle of a steering 
wheel. 

Steering Gear. The gearing 
from steering wheel to tiller by 
which the tiller is moved. 

Steering Wheel. The wheel op¬ 
erating the steering gear and by 
which the vessel is steered. 

Telemotor. A hydraulic device 
by which the movement of the 
steering wheel operates the rud¬ 
der and indicates the position of 
the rudder. 

Tiller. The iron or wooden fore- 
and-aft bar fitting into the rudder 
head and by which the rudder is 
turned. 

Tiller Ropes. The ropes con¬ 
necting the tiller to a drum re¬ 
volved by the steering ropes. 

Unbalanced Rudder. A rudder 
whose area does not extend for¬ 
ward of the axis of rotation. 

Wheel Ropes. The ropes con¬ 
necting the steering wheel with the 
drum of the steering gear. 

Yoke. The horizontal wooden 
piece fitting across the head of the 
rudder of a small boat. 

D. RUDDER TERMS 

Conning. Directing the steering 
by orders to the steersman. 


Ease the Rudder. An order to 
decrease the rudder angle. 

Feel the Helm. Said of a ves¬ 
sel when she is sensitive to the 
rudder. 

Full Rudder. Hard over rudder 
angle. 

Half Rudder. A rudder angle 
one half of full rudder. 

Handsomely. Slightly. 

Hard Down. An order to put 
the tiller as far to leeward as pos¬ 
sible. 

Hard Over. An order to put the 
tiller or wheel as far over to the 
side designated as possible. 

Hard Up. An order to put the 
tiller as far to windward as pos¬ 
sible. 

Helm. The tiller. 

Keep Her So. An order to 
steady on the course. 

Lee Helm. The tiller put to lee¬ 
ward; a vessel carries lee helm 
when it is necessary to put the til¬ 
ler to leeward to hold the course. 

Meet Her. An order to shift the 
rudder to check, but not entirely 
stop, the swing. 

Mind Your Rudder. A warning 
to watch the course carefully un¬ 
der the effect of the rudder. 

Mind Your (Right) Rudder. A 
warning that (right) rudder must 
be used to steady on the course. 

No Higher. An order not to 
bring a vessel any closer to the 
wind. 

Nothing Off. An order not to 
allow the vessel to pay off further 
from the wind. 




RUDDER TERMS 


59 


Nothing to the (Westward). An 
order not to allow the vessel to 
pay off further to the (westward). 

Rudder Amidships. An order to 
place the rudder amidships. 

Shift the Rudder. An order to 
shift the rudder over to the other 
side. 

Standard Half Rudder. That 
rudder angle which at 12 knots 
will give a tactical diameter of 
1,000 yards. 

Standard Rudder. That rudder 


angle which at 12 knots will give 
a tactical diameter of 750 yards. 

Steady. An order to hold a ves¬ 
sel on the course she is maintain¬ 
ing. 

Trick. The period of time dur¬ 
ing which the steersman remains 
at the wheel. 

Weather Helm. The tiller put 
over to windward; a vessel carries 
a weather helm when it is neces¬ 
sary to put the tiller to windward 
to hold the course. 



CHAPTER 13 


General Terms 


Abaft. In the direction of the 
stern. 

Abandon. To leave—as abandon 
ship. 

Aboard. On the vessel. 

Abreast. Abeam of. 

Adrift. Loose from the moor¬ 
ings. 

Afloat. Resting on the water. 

Aground. Resting on the bot¬ 
tom. 

Ahoy. A term used in hailing 
a vessel. 

Alive. Alert. 

Aloft. Above the upper deck. 

Alongside. Side to side. 

All-hands. The entire crew. 

Anchorage. A place to anchor. 

Anchor-watch. The detail on 
deck at night when at anchor, to 
safeguard the vessel. 

Annunciator. An electric drop 
indicating the source of a call. 

Ashore. On the shore. 

Athwartships. At right angles 
to the fore-and-aft line of the ves¬ 
sel. 

Avast. Stop. 

Awash. Level with the water. 

Aye Aye, Sir. A reply to an of¬ 
ficer’s call or order. 


Backbone. The rope stitched to 
the back of the middle of an awn¬ 
ing and to which the crow’s-foot 
is spliced. 

Back Wash. The agitated water 
.thrown aft by the propeller. 

. Bail. To throw water out of a 
boat; a yoke, as a ladder bail. 

Bale. A tightly packed bundle. 

Ballast. Heavy weights packed 
in the bottom of a boat or ship to 
give her stability. 

Barratry. Dishonest actions on 
the part of a shipmaster. 

Barrel. A horizontal drum. 

Beam-ends. Said of a vessel 
when she is hove over or listed un¬ 
til her deck beams approach the 
vertical. 

Bear-a-hand. To hurry; to as¬ 
sist. 

Bed. A resting place. 

Belaying Pin. A wooden or iron 
shape fitting into a rail, and used 
for securing gear. 

Bell Pull. The handle in the 
steering station by which the en¬ 
gine-room is signalled to by bells, 
indicating the desired speed. 

Berth. A vessel’s place at an¬ 
chor or at a dock. 

Betwixt Wind and Water. That 


// 


60 




GENERAL TERMS 


61 


part of the vessel at or near the 
water-line. 

Bill of Exchange. A written 
agreement in which a debtor agrees 
to pay a creditor a specified sum 
on a specified date. 

Bill of Health. A certificate ob¬ 
tained by a vessel from the health 
authorities as to the state of health 
of the port when the vessel clears. 

Bill of Lading. A receipt from 
a vessel for cargo received. 

Binnacle List. A list posted on 
men-of-war with the names of 
those excused from duty by the 
Medical Officer on account of sick¬ 
ness. 

Boarding Book. A note book 
on a man-of-war in which an of¬ 
ficer boarding another vessel re¬ 
cords data obtained. 

Bone. Froth at the stem caused 
by a vessel’s way. 

Boot-topping. The anti-corro¬ 
sive paint used on and above the 
ater-line. 

Bos’n’s-chair. The piece of board 
on which a man working aloft is 
swung. 

Bow. The forward part of a 
essel’s sides. 

Boxing the Compass. Calling 
the names of the 32 points of the 
compass in order, 
i Bright Work. Brass work, 
polished. 

Bright Woodwork. Woodwork 
kept scraped and not painted. 

Bring To. To heave or lie-to 
or to come to an anchorage. 

Bring Up. To anchor. 


Bull the Buoy. Said of a vessel 
when her sides bump a buoy. 

Butt. The ends of decks or out¬ 
side planking where they meet. 

Butt End First. Said of a sud¬ 
den squall of wind striking a vessel 
after a period of calm. 

By the Board. Overboard. 

By the Head (Stern). Deeper 
forward (aft). 

By the Run. To let go alto¬ 
gether. 

Cable’s Length. 100 fathoms or 
600 feet. 

Call. The boatswain’s pipe. 

Call Away. To send away by 
the boatswain’s pipe. 

Canted. Inclined. 

Capsize. To overturn. 

Careen. To list or heel over. 

Carry Away. To break or tear 
loose. 

Cartel. An agreement for an ex¬ 
change of prisoners; a cartel ship 
is for the purpose of transporting 
such persons. 

Cast Loose. To let go or un¬ 
furl or cast off. 

Caulking Mat. A canvas mat 
used by men-of-warsmen when 
sleeping on the deck. 

Check. To slack gradually. 

Chock-a-block. Full; specifically 
when the two blocks of a tackle 
have been drawn as close together 
as possible. 

Clamp Down. To sprinkle and 
swab down, as a deck in hot 
weather. 



62 


GENERAL TERMS 


Clap On. To seize hold of; to 
put on. 

Clearance. The papers furnished 
a vessel by port authorities to in¬ 
dicate that regulations have been 
complied with before leaving. 

Claw. To work off a lee shore. 

Colors. The national ensign. 

Come Up (Behind). To slack 
away after hauling so that the gear 
may be belayed. 

Convoy. A merchant vessel or 
vessels sailing under the escort of 
man-of-war. 

Course. The point of the com¬ 
pass towards which the vessel is 
steering. 

Cramp. A grappling iron. 

Cringle. A piece of rope spliced 
into an eye over a thimble in the 
bolt rope of a sail. 

Crossing the Line. Crossing the 
Equator. 

Crowd On. To set all sail pos¬ 
sible. 

Davy Jones’s Locker. The bot* 
tom of the sea. 

Day’s Duty. The term applied 
to a tour of duty on ship board last¬ 
ing 24 hours. 

Day’s Work. A navigator’s reck¬ 
oning from early morning to night. 

Deaden the Way. To impede a 
vessel’s progress. 

Dead Reckoning. A navigator’s 
reckoning with courses steered and 
distances run independent of sights 
or bearings. 

Dead Water. The eddy of a 
vessel’s wake under the counter. 

Dead Weight (Capacity). The 


difference between a vessel’s light 
and loaded displacement. 

Dead Wood. The vertical flat 
part at the stern of an iron or 
steel vessel. 

Demurrage. The amount of 
money allowed a vessel per day 
when detained in port in loading 
or unloading beyond a limit speci¬ 
fied in her charter party. 

Dip (Colors). The temporary 
lowering of the ensign part way 
in the process of saluting or re¬ 
turning a salute of another vessel. 

Dismantle. To strip a vessel of 
her spars and upper masts. 

Dismast. To carry away the 
masts of a vessel in a blow. 

Dog Watch. One of the two- 
hour watches from 4 to 8 p.m.; 
from 4 to 6 p.m. is the first dog 
watch, and from 6 to 8 p.m., the 
second dog watch. 

Dog’s Ear. A small bight made 
in reefing in the leach rope of a 
sail. 

Doubling. Sailing around a 
point of land. 

Draft. The depth of water to a 

vessel’s keel. 

Drag. A heavy frame dragged 
along the bottom as in oyster 
dredging; a semi-submerged con¬ 
trivance for keeping a vessel’s 
head to wind and sea. 

Drift. The leeway of a vessel 
or amount of set of a tide or cur¬ 
rent; the spare end of a rope. 

Drop Down. To sail or steam 
down towards a river’s mouth; an 
order for a ship’s boat to cast off 



GENERAL TERMS 


63 


from the boom and back down to 
the gangway. 

Dunnage. Loose material placed 
in holds for the cargo to rest on, 
or jammed between the cargo to 
wedge it. 

Ease In. To gradually work in, 
as to a dock. 

Ease Off. To slack up. 

Ease Out. To slack out. 

Ease Up. To gradually work 
up; to let up. 

Easy. Carefully. 

End-f o r - e n d. Reversing the 
position of an object. 

End On. Head on. 

Euphroe. A length of wood 
with parallel holes, used to spread 
the legs of the crow’s foot of an 
awning. 

Even Keel. Floating level. 

Eyelet Holes. The holes in a 
sail for reef-points or robands. 

Fairway. An open channel. 

Feel the Way. To proceed cau¬ 
tiously with the lead going. 

Fender. Canvas, wood or rope 
used over the side to protect a ves¬ 
sel from chafing when alongside 
another vessel or a dock. 

Fend Off. To push off when 
making a landing. 

Fetch. To make a windward 
mark without another tack. 

Field Day. A day for general 
ship cleaning. 

Fire Control. Pertaining to the 
direction of the control of a ves¬ 
sel’s battery. 

First Lieutenant. The officer 


charged with the cleanliness of a 
man-of-war, and who is in charge 
of the C and R equipment. 

Fish (mast). Repairing damage 
to a spar by bolting wooden pieces 
called fish pieces over the break, 
and securing them with strong 
lashings. 

Flare. The inclining of a ves¬ 
sel’s sides outwards. 

Flat. As close as possible, as a 
flat sheet. 

Flotsam. Floating wreckage. 

Fore and Aft. In the direction 
of the keel. 

Forge Ahead. To make prog¬ 
ress ahead, especially when carried 
ahead by momentum. 

Foul. Jammed; not clear. 

Founder. To sink. 

Gage. A position towards or 
away from the wind or sun, with 
reference to another vessel. 

Gather-way. To attain head¬ 
way. 

Gilguy (or Gadget). A term 
used to designate an object for 
which the correct name is forgot¬ 
ten. 

Gingerly. Cautiously. 

Give Chase. To pursue. 

Grounding. Running ashore. 

Ground Tackle. A term used to 
cover all of the anchor gear. 

Gross Tonnage. The measure of 
the cubical contents of a vessel be¬ 
low decks. 

Hail. To address a vessel; to 
come from, as to hail from some 
port. 

Hammock. A sailor’s bed, made 



64 


GENERAL TERMS 


of canvas and swung at each end 
to the deck beams. 

Handle. To take charge of, 
especially of a vessel when making 
an evolution. 

Hand Over Hand. Rapidly; 
specifically, to climb a rope by 
placing the hands alternately above 
one another. 

Hand Taut. As tight as can be 
pulled by hand. 

Handy. Useful; a handy vessel 
is one which handles easily. 

Handspike. A small wooden bar 
similar to a capstan or an anchor 
bar, used for prying. 

Handybilly. A watch tackle; a 
small portable force pump. 

Harbor Master. A civil author¬ 
ity in charge of the anchorage 
berths and the harbor regulations 
of a port. 

Hauled Up. Changing course 
closer to the wind. 

Hawser. A large rope for tow¬ 
ing or heavy work. 

Haul. To pull; a change of wind 
in the direction of the hands of a 
clock. 

Head Room. The height of the 
decks, below-decks. 

Headway. Moving ahead. 

Heave Away. An order to haul 
away or to heave around a cap¬ 
stan. 

Heave Down. To list a vessel 
over in order to inspect, repair or 
clean a vessel’s bottom. 

Heave Round. An order to re¬ 
volve the capstan or the drum of 
a winch. 


Heave Taut. To haul in until 
the line has a strain upon it. 

Heel. The lower end; to list 
over; a vessel turns on her heel 
when she turns in a short space. 

Heel-and-toe. A deck watch in 
port in which the officer-of-the- 
deck is relieved at the end of each 
watch, day and night. 

High-and-dry. With no water 
surrounding. 

< Hogged. With the two ends of 
a vessel lower than the middle. 

Hoist. The length of the 
luff of a fore-and-aft sail; the edge 
of a flag next to the halliards; a 
display of flags at a yard-arm. 

Holiday. An imperfection. 

Holystone. A large flat stone 
used to clean and whiten a vessel’s 
decks. 

Home. To the limit; an anchor 
comes home when it fails to hold 
and is dragged towards the vessel. 

House. To stow or secure in a 
safe place; a topmast is housed by 
lowering it and securing it to a 
lowermast; an awning is housed by 
hauling the stops down and secur¬ 
ing them to the rail. 

Hug. To keep close. 

Hull Board. A board of officers 
on board a man-of-war to inspect 
and report on the condition of the 
vessel’s hull. 

Hull Book. The book in which 
the Hull Board enters its report. 

Hull Down. Said of a vessel 
when due to its distance only the 
spars are visible. 

Ice-bound. Caught in the ice. 



GENERAL TERMS 


65 


Ice-blink. The white veil around 
the horizon caused by the reflec¬ 
tion of light on an ice field. 

Ice-lead. A lane of open water 
of temporary nature in an ice-field. 

Ice-nip. Two ice fields meeting. 

Inboard. Towards the fore-and- 
aft line of the ship. 

Inshore. Towards the shore. 

Invoice. A written statement in 
detail of a vessel’s cargo. 

Jam. To wedge tight; to sail 
close-hauled. 

Jetsam. Goods thrown over¬ 
board; usually used when these 
goods drift ashore. 

Jettison. To heave the cargo of 
a ship over the side. 

Jetty. A landing wharf or pier; 
a dike at a river’s mouth. 

Jig. A purchase on the bight of 
a halliard. 

Jump (of a sea). A short quick 
sea. 

Jump Ship. To leave a ship 
without authority. 

' Keel Haul. An ancient punish¬ 
ment consisting in hauling the of¬ 
fender under the keel from one 
side to the other. 

Kentledge. Pig iron ballast 
stowed next to the keelson. 

Knock-off. To stop, especially 
co stop work. 

Labor. A vessel is said to labor 
when she works heavily in a sea¬ 
way. 

Laden in Bulk. Cargo carried 
loose in a vessel. 

Land Fall. The first sighting of 
land at the end of a sea voyage. 


Land Ho! The hail from the 
lookout when land is sighted. 

Landlubber. The seaman’s term 
for one who does not go to sea. 

Lash (and carry). The order to 
lash up the hammocks and stow 
them in the nettings. 

Lay Days. The number of days 
beyond which demurrage is paid. 

Lay Aloft. The order to go 
aloft. 

Lee Shore. The land to leeward 
of the vessel. 

League. Three miles.. 

Leeward. The direction away 
from the wind. 

Leeway. The drift of a vessel 
to leeward caused by the wind or 
/tide. 

Leg. The length of a board or a 
tack of a sailing vessel on the 
wind. 

Lend-a-hand. To assist. 

Let Her Ride. To allow to re¬ 
main. 

Liberty Party. A party of en¬ 
listed men on leave of absence. 

Light. To lift along; to light 
up is to slack away; to light out is 
to move out. 

List. The inclination of a vessel 
not caused by wind or sea. 

Lofty. High; a lofty ship has 
lofty masts. 

Log Book. The book in which 
the quartermaster and watch officer 
enter the occurrences on their 
watch; the official history and rec¬ 
ord of the vessel’s voyage. 

Look Up. To point closer due 
to a favorable shift of wind. 




66 


GENERAL TERMS 


Lug. To carry, as to lug sail. 

Lurch. A sudden roll of a ves¬ 
sel. 

Made. Not whole—in parts. 

Make Colors. Hoisting the en¬ 
sign at 8 a.m. 

Make the Course Good. Steer¬ 
ing and making good the designated 
course. 

Make the Land. A landfall. 

Make Sunset. Lowering the 
colors at sunset. 

Make Water. To leak. 

Manifest. A document made out 
by a vessel’s master where goods 
are received, detailing the cargo, 
and submitted to the customs au¬ 
thorities. 

Marine Glue. A substance re¬ 
sembling gutta-percha and some¬ 
times used in caulking decks as a 
substitute for pitch. 

Maritime. Pertaining to the sea. 

Marlinespike. A pointed iron 
instrument used in working with 
rope and wire. 

Marry. To place two ropes to¬ 
gether as in hoisting a boat; to 
temporarily sew the ends of two 
ropes together for rendering 
through a block. 

Masthead. The top part of a 
mast. 

Mat. A weave of strands of old 
rope to form a mat for use as chaf¬ 
ing gear. 

Meshes. The openings in the 
cords of a net. 

Mildew. Black and green spots 
on sails, caused by dampness. 

Morning Order Book. The book 


in which the Executive Officer 
writes his instructions for the next 
morning’s ship’s work. 

Mother Carey’s Chicken. The 
stormy petrel. 

Muster. To assemble the crew. 

Naval Stores. Oil, turpentine, 

pitch, etc. 

Navigable. Sufficient depth of 
water to permit the passage of ves¬ 
sels. 

Navigator. The officer charged 
with the safe navigation of the ves¬ 
sel. 

Neptune. The mythical god of 
the sea. 

Net Tonnage. The gross ton¬ 
nage of a vessel less certain deduc¬ 
tions, and a rough measure of the 
capacity of the vessel for cargo or 
passengers. 

Night Order Book. The book 
on a man-of-war in which the Cap¬ 
tain enters his orders for the night’s 
run. 

Oakum. A material used for 
caulking the seams of vessels and 
made from the loose fibres of old 
hemp rope. 

Ocean Greyhound. A fast mer¬ 
chant steamship. 

Off-and-On. Standing towards 
the land and off again alternately. 

Offing. To seaward but in sight 
of land. 

Officer-of-the-Deck. The officer 
in charge of the ship and on deck 
as the Captain’s representative. 

Officer-of-the-Watch. The of¬ 
ficer in charge of the watch. 

On Soundings. Said of a vessel 





GENERAL TERMS 


67 


when the depth of water can be 
measured by the lead—usually up 
to about 80 fathoms. 

Ordinary (in). A s t a t u s of a 
man-of-war in which the vessel is 
maintained at a Navy Yard with 
such complement as to enable the 
preservation of the vessel from 
deterioration. 

Outboard. Towards the sides of 
the vessel. 

Outlying. Objects at a distance 
from the shore. 

Over All. The extreme deck 
fore-and-aft measurement of a ves¬ 
sel. 

Palm and Needle. A seaman’s 
sewing outfit for heavy work. 

Parliment Heel. Listed over so 
as to inspect, clean or repair the 
vessel’s bottom. 

Part. To break. 

Passenger List. The list con¬ 
taining the names of all passengers 
embarked. 

Passport. The ship’s document 
certifying in time of war her na¬ 
tionality. 

Pass the Word. To repeat an 
order or information to the crew. 

Pass a Line. To reeve and se¬ 
cure a line. 

Pay. To fill the seams of a ves¬ 
sel with pitch. 

Pay Out. To slack out on a line 
made fast on board. 

Pay Off. To turn the bow away 
from the wind; to pay the crew. 

Pelorus. A navigational instru¬ 
ment used for taking bearings and 
consisting of a circular flat metallic 


ring graduated in degrees and 
mounted in gimbals on a vertical 
stand, usually outboard. 

Pendant. A length of rope with 
a block or thimble at the end. 

Pier-head Leap. A jump to a 
dock made by a deserter as soon 
as a vessel approaches the dock. 
v Pipe Down. An order to keep 
quiet; an order dismissing the 
crew from an evolution. 

Pipe the Side. The ceremony at 
the gangway when the boatswain’s 
pipe is blown when an official 
comes aboard or leaves a man-of- 
war. 

Pipe to ( ). The boatswain’s 
pipe call to an evolution. 

Pitch. A substance obtained 
from the pine tree and used in pay¬ 
ing the seams of a vessel. 

Pitch (Propeller). The axial dis¬ 
tance a propeller would travel 
without slip in one revolution. 

Play. Freedom of movement. 

Pooped. Said of a vessel when 
a sea breaks over the stern. 

Port Captain. The official in 
charge of a line of steamships at a 
certain port. 

Portable. Capable of being car¬ 
ried; an electric light plugged into 
a light fixture and with a long lead 
of wire. 

Pricker. A small marlinespike. 

Pratique. A limited quarantine; 
a permit by the port doctor for an 
incoming vessel, being clear of con¬ 
tagious disease, to have the liberty 
of the port. 



68 


GENERAL TERMS 


Puddening. A chafing pad of 
rope yarns or similar material. 

Put to Sea. To leave port. 

Quarantine. Restricted or pro¬ 
hibited intercourse due to conta¬ 
gious disease. 

Quarter Bill. A vessel’s station 
bill showing duties of the crew. 

Quarter Master. A petty officer 
of the bridge force. 

Quay. A cargo discharging 
. wharf. 

yj Race. A confusion of the water 
due to conflicting tides; the mo¬ 
mentary speeding up of a propeller 
due to the blades being clear of 
the water. 

Rack. A seizing binding two 
ropes together. 

Raise. To bring an object on 
the horizon into clearer view. 

Rake. The angle of a vessel’s 
masts from the vertical. 

Rakish. Having a rake to the 
masts; a smart speedy appearance. 

Range Alongside. To come 
close abeam of another vessel. 

Relieving (Watch, etc.). To 
take over the duty, as when one 
watch on deck relieves another. 

Registered Tonnage. Same as 
net tonnage. 

Registry. The ship’s certificate 
determining the ownership and na¬ 
tionality of the vessel. 

Ride. To sit on the water. 

' Roach. The curve of the edge 
of a sail. 

Roadstead. An anchorage usu¬ 
ally partially exposed. 

Round Down. To overhaul a 


tackle so that the lower block will 
come down. 

Round In. To haul in. 

Round To. To bring a sailing 
vessel by the wind when sailing 
free. 

Rouse In. To haul in, especially 

by man-power. 

Run Down. To collide with a 
vessel head on; to sail north or 
south to a given parallel of lati¬ 
tude; to stand along a coast. 

Run Out. To send out, as to run 
out a towing hawser. 

Sag. To sink in the middle; to 
make leeway. 

Salvage. A payment for the res¬ 
cue of a damaged vessel based on 
a percentage of her value. 

Scale. To climb up; a formation 
of rust over iron or steel plating. 

Scuttle. A small trunk in a ves¬ 
sel’s deck; t.o sink a vessel by bor¬ 
ing holes in her bottom. 

Screw. The propeller. 

Sea-boat. A vessel’s ability to 
weather storms; a good sea-boat 
is a seaworthy vessel. 

Seaway. A moderate or rough 
sea. 

Seasoned. Protected against the 
weather by chemical treatment. 

Secure. To make fast; safe. 

Send. Carried forward by the 
impulse of a wave. 

Set the Course. To give the 
steersman the desired course to be 
steered. 

Set the Watch. Strictly speak¬ 
ing, to divide a ship’s company 
into watches; the order at 8 p.m. 



GENERAL TERMS 


69 


on a man-of-war to station the first 
watch. 

Settle. To lower; to sink deeper. 

Shape a Course. To ascertain 
the proper course to be steered to 
make the desired point or port. 

Shear Off. To bear away. 

Sheers. Two spars raised and 
lashed together at the top to form 
a support for a tackle for lifting 
heavy weights. 

Ship. To enlist; to send on 
board cargo; to put in place; to 
take on board. 

Ship Control. Pertaining to the 
direction of a ship’s manoeuvring. 

Ship Keeper. A watchman safe¬ 
guarding a ship in port with no 
crew on board. 

Shipping Articles. The agree¬ 
ment between the ship’s officers 
and the crew, or, in the Navy, be¬ 
tween the Government and the re¬ 
cruit. 

Shipshape. Neat, seamanlike. 

Shore Up. To prop up. 

Shove Off. To leave; an order 
to the bowman to shove the bow 
clear preparatory to leaving a dock 
or a vessel’s side. 

Show-a-leg. An order to make 
haste. 

Silt. Mud or sediment 

Sing Out. To call out. 

Sister Hooks. Two iron flat¬ 
sided hooks suspended from a 
thimble with the flat sides together 
when in place. 

Slack. To ease off; to be slow 
in tacking; the state of the tide 


when there is no horizontal mo¬ 
tion. 

Slew. A river inlet. 

Slip. To let go by unshackling, 
as a cable; the lost motion of the 
propeller. 

Slush. The grease from salt 
pork or boiled beef, used for mak¬ 
ing a mast slippery. 

Smart. Snappy, seamanlike; a 
smart ship is an efficient one. 

Snub. To check suddenly. 

Snug Down. To reduce sail 
preparatory to a blow. 

Spanish Windlass. A wooden re¬ 
volving roller turned by a marline- 
spike thrust into turns of rope 
wound around it. 

Speak. To communicate with a 
vessel. 

Spring. To turn a vessel with a 
line. 

Sprung. Damaged by being 
bent out of shape. 

Squilgee. A deck dryer com¬ 
posed of a flat piece of wood shod 
with rubber, and a handle. 

Stagger. Said of a vessel when 
under so much press of canvas that 
she does not ride well. 

Stand By. A preparatory order. 

Staunch. Stiff, seaworthy, able. 

Steerageway. Having headway 
enough so that the vessel will mind 
her rudder. 

Sternboard. Progress astern. 

Stern Chase. A chase from di¬ 
rectly astern. 

Stevedore. A professional cargo 
stower. 



70 


GENERAL TERMS 


Stiff. Said of a vessel when she 
stands up well without heeling un¬ 
der her canvas. 

Stove. Broken in. 

Stow. To put in place. 

Stowaway. A person illegally 
aboard and in hiding. 

Supercargo. A merchant ves¬ 
sel’s officer charged with managing 
the ship’s business. 

Swab. A rope mop. 

Swamp. To sink by filling with 
water. 

Sway Aloft. An order to hoist 
a yard or spar aloft. 

Swig Off. To bear off and down 
with the weight of the body on 
running gear, so as to set well 
taut. 

Swing Ship. The evolution of 
swinging a ship’s head through sev¬ 
eral compass points, to adjust the 
compasses. 

Take a Turn. To pass a turn 
around a belaying pin or cleat and 
hold on. 

Taunt. Said of a vessel having 
lofty spars. 

Taut. With no slack; strict as 
to discipline. 

Tend. To man. 

Tender. Crank or heeling un¬ 
duly; a vessel accompanying a 
group of vessels for effecting re¬ 
pairs, carrying stores, etc. 

Thimble. An iron ring grooved 
on the outside for a rope grommet. 

Thumb Cleat. A small cleat with 
one horn on a spar, as for the reef- 
earing on a boom. 


Thwartships. At right angles to 
the fore-and-aft line. 

Toggle. A wooden or metal pin 
slipped into a becket and used for 
separating and securing gear. 

Tonnage. Cargo capacity. 

Top Hamper. The spars and 
rigging above the decks. 

Top Heavy. Too heavy aloft. 

Top. The platform at the top of 
a mast; to top a boom is to lift up 
its, end. 

Top Sides. Above decks. 

Trail. An order given in a small 
boat fitted with trailing lines to 
allow the oars to trail over the 
side. 

Trice. To haul up. 

Trim. The angle to the hori¬ 
zontal in which a vessel rides; to 
handle the sheets so as to make 
the most out of the wind; ship 
shape. 

Trip. To let go; to lift an an¬ 
chor from the bottom. 

Turn To. An order to com¬ 
mence ship’s work. 

Turn Turtle. To capsize. 

Unballast. To discharge a ves¬ 
sel’s ballast. 

Under -manned. Insufficient 1 
number of crew, short-handed. 

Under-run. To haul a boat un¬ 
der a hawser; to raise up the bight 
of a hose to empty it of water. 

Under the Lee. To leeward of 
the shore or of another vessel. 

Undertow. A current off shore 
in surf. 

Underway. Making progress 
through the water. 





GENERAL TERMS 


71 


Unbend. To cast adrift. 

Unrig. To take the rigging off 
a vessel. 

Unship. To take apart or to 
remove. 

’Vast. An order to cease. 
VWake. A vessel’s track; behind. 

Wardroom. Commissioned o f - 
fleer’s quarters on a man-of-war. 

Waste. Cotton yarn used for 
cleaning purposes. 

Watch Officer. An officer tak¬ 
ing his turn as officer-of-the-watch. 

Watch-and-Watch. Two watches 
alternating on deck. 

Water-borne. Clear of the bot¬ 
tom. 

Water-logged. Filled with water 
but afloat. 

Water-tight. Capable of keep¬ 
ing out water. 

Water’s Edge. The surface of 
the water. 

Weather-eye. To keep a weath¬ 
er-eye is to be on the alert. 


Well! An order meaning suf¬ 
ficient. 

Whelps. Iron pieces bolted to 
the wooden barrel of a windlass to 
prevent the chain from cutting the 
barrel. 

Wide Berth. At a considerable 
distance. 

Wind (a Steamer). To turn a 
vessel end-for-end, usually by the 
use of lines. 

Windward. Toward the wind. 

Work (a Ship). To hande sails 
and gear. 

Work to Windward. Making up 
against the wind. 

Wring. To buckle, to twist out 
of shape. 

Yardarm to Yardarm. Said of 
square-rigged vessels alongside 
one another with yardarms touch- 
g. 

Yaw. To steer wildly or out of 
the line of the course, as when 
running with a heavy quartering 
sea. 





INDEX 


A 

PAGE 

Aback. 34 

PAGE 

Astern. 4s 

Ath wart-hawse. 42 

Abaft. 60 

Athwartships. 60 

Abaft the beam. 45 

Abandon. 60 

Abeam. 45 

Atrip. 42 

Auxiliaries. 1 

Avast. 60 

Aboard. «sn 

Awash. ' ' 60 

About. 34 

A-weather. 37 

Abreast. 60 

Awning. 29 

Accommodation ladder. 7 

Aye, Aye, Sir. 60 


Afloat. 60 

After bow spring. 54 

After brow. 55 

After quarter spring.' 54 

After sails. 33 

After waist spring.' 54 

Against the sun. 15 

Aground. 60 

Ahoy. ’ 60 

Aircraft. 1 

Air tank.27 

Alee. ' 34 

Alive. !.!!!!!!”' 60 

AU-aback. 35 

All-hands. ’ 60 

All in the wind. | ’ 35 

Aloft. 60 

Alongside. 60 

Alter. 56 

Alto-cumulus. 47 

Alto-stratus. 47 

Amidships. * ' 45 

Anchorage. ] ’ 60 

Anchor bar.41 

Anchor lights.44 

Anchor-watch. . . ’ 60 

Aneroid barometer. 47 

Angle bar. 5 

Annunciator.60 

Anti-cyclone. ’ * 49 

Apeek. ’ 42 

Ardent. 35 

Arm.. 40 

Arming.26 

Armor belt. 5 

Armor shelf. 5 

Ashore. 60 


B 


Back. 37 

Backboard. . ’ 28 

1 


Backbone. 60 

Backstay.’ 30 

Back wash. 60 

Bail. 60 

Balanced rudder. 57 

Balancing ring. 40 

Baldt. 39 

Bale. 60 

Ball. 40 

Ballast. 60 

Bare poles. 35 

Barge. 2 

Bark. 3 

Bar Keel. . ! 5 

Barkentine. 3 

Barometer. 47 

Barometric gradient. 50 

Barometric pressure. 50 

Barometric tide. 50 

Barratry. 60 

Barrel. 60 

Batten. 32 j 

Battle cruiser. 1 

Battleship. l 

Beacon. 45 

Beam-ends. 60 

Beam sea. 49 

Beam wind. 49 

Bear-a-hand. 60 

Bear down. 37 

Bear in. 37 

Bearing. 45 

Bear off. 35 


72 





































































































INDEX 


73 


PAGE 

Bear up. 35 

Beating to windward. 35 

Becalmed. 49 

Becket rowlock.’ 29 

Bed. 60 

Belay. 15 

Belaying pin. 60 

Bell buoy. 45 

Bell pull. 60 

Beiiy.;;; 35 

Bend. 15 

Bending shackle. 39 

Berth. 60 

Berth deck. 5 

Between decks. 10 

Betwixt wind and water. 60 

Bight. 15 

Bilge. 6 

Bilge block. 56 

Bilge keel. 6 

Bilge ways. 56 

Bill. 40 

Bill board. 7; 41 

Bill of exchange.. 61 

Bill of health. 61 

Bill of lading. 61 

Binnacle. 24 

Binnacle list. 61 

Bite. 42 

Bitt. 42 

Bitter-end. 15 

Bitts. 41 

Blackwall hitch. 16 

Blade. 33 ; 40 

Blanket. 35 

Blinker tube. 52 

Block-and-block. 23 

Blower. 11 

Bluff. 10 

Boarding book. 61 

Boat the oars. 34 

Boat hook. 31 

Boat boom. 7 

Boat cloth. 29 

Boat cover. 29 

Boat fall. 30 

Boat number. 29 

Boat recall. 37 

Boatswain’s chair. 61 

Boatswain’s chest. 7 

Boatswain’s locker. 7 

Bobstay. 30 

Bollard. 55 

Bolt rope. 13; 32 

Bone. 61 

Booby hatch. 7 


PAGE 

Boom. 31 

Boot-topping. 61 

Bottom plating. 6 

Bow. 61 

Bowed. 10 

Bower. 39 

Bow breast. 54 

Bow breast mooring. 55 

Bow chock. 55 

Bow line. 54 

Bowline. 16 

Bowline on the bight. 16 

Bow mooring. 54 

Bow painter. 28 

Bowsprit. 31 

Boxing off. 35 

Boxing the compass. 61 

Brails. 31 

Break. 52 

Break ground. 42 

Breaker. 7 

Breach. 49 

Breast. 54 

Breast-band. 24 

Breech. 21 

Bridge. 9 

Bridle. 13 

Brig. 3; 9 

Brigantine. 3 

Bright woodwork. 61 

Bright work. 61 

Bring to. 37; 61 

Bring up. 61 

Broaching to. 37 

Broad on the bow. 45 

Broad on the quarter. 45 

Brow. 55 

Brow truck. 55 

Buckler. 7 

Bulkhead. 6 

Bull’s-eye. 21 

Bull the buoy. 61 

Bulwark. 6 

Bumboat. 4 

Bumpkin. 30 

Bumpkin shrouds. 30 

Bunker. 6 

Bunting. 52 

Burgee. 52 

Bushing. 21 

Butt. 61 

Butt end first. 61 

Buzzer. 52 

By the board. 61 

By the head (stern). 61 

By the run. 61 

By the wind. 35 

























































































































74 


INDEX 


c 

PAGE 

Cabin. . . 9 

PAGE 

Cirro-cumulus. 47 

Cirro-stratus. 47 

Cable 19 

Cirrus. 47 

Cable-laid. 12 

Cables length. 61 

Cable ship. 46 

Caisson. 56 

Call. 61 

Call away. 61 

Calm. 47 

Clamp down. 61 

Clap on. 15; 42; 62 

Claw. 62 

Clearance. 62 

Clear for running. .. 15 

Clear Hawse. 42 

Clear Hawse Pendant. 41 

Camel. 55 

Can Buoy. 45 

Canopy cover. 28 

Canted. 61 

Cap. 32 

Capsize. 37; 61 

Capstan. 41 

Capstan Bar. 41 

Cardinal points. 25 

Careen. 61 

Cargo Block. 22 

Cargo boom. 7 

Cargo hatch. 6 

Cargo Port. 6 

Carry-away. 61 

Cartel. 61 

Carvel built. 4 

Cast. . 42 

Cleat. 27 

Clew. 32 

Clinch. 15 

Clinker built. 4 

Clinometer. 47 

Close-hauled. 35 

Close-Reefed. 35 

Clothes stop. 13 

Cloud bank. 50 

Clove Hitch. 17 

Clump Block. 22 

Club Topsail. 33 

Club Topsail Sprit. 32 

Coaming. 6 

Cockbill. 42 

Cockpit. 27 

Code. 52 

Cod line. 12 

Cast Loose. 61 

Cat. . . a 9 

Cofferdam. 6 

Coil. 15 

Catamaran 2 

Coir. 12 

Cat Block. 21 

Cat boat. 3 

Catch. 34 

Catch a crab. 34 

Catch-a-turn. 15 

Cat Davit. 41 

Cat Fall. 41 

Cat Head 41 

Collision bulkhead. 6 

Colors. 62 

Come Home. 42 

Come up (behind). 62 

Coming-up tack. 51 

Common Link. 39 

Companion Way. 8 

Compass. 24 

Cats Paw. 16; 48 

Caulking Mat. 61 

Centre board. 27 

Chafe. 15 

Compass Card. 24 

Compensate. 25 

Composite built. 4 

Compressor. 41 

Chafing-mat. 30 

Chain Hook. 41 

Chain locker. 7 

Chains. 24 

Channel Buoy. 45 

Charlie Noble. 8 

Check. 61 

Cheek Block. 21 

Cheeks. 21 

Chip Log. 25 

Chock. 7 

Chock-a-block. 23; 61 

Choked. 23 

Concluding line. 13 

Connecting Shackle. 39 

Conning. 58 

Controller. 41 

Convoy. 62 

Coppers. 8 

Cordage. 12 

Correctors. 24 

Coston Signals. 44 

Course. 62 

Cow’s Tail. 15 

Coxswain. 37 

Cradle. 8 

Circular Storm. 49 

Cramp. 62 






















































































































INDEX 


75 


PAGE 

Crane. g 

Cringle .!!!.!!.’!! 62 

Crossing. 46 

Crossing the line. i 62 

Cross signals. 44 

Crowd on.’ 62 

Crown. ’ 40 

Crow’s-nest. [ 9 

Cruiser. 1 

Cumulo-nimbus. 47 

Cumulus.47 

Cutter. 2 

Cut-water. 6 

Cyclone. 48 


D 


Danger buoy. 45 

Dangerous semi-circle. 49 

Dash. 52 

Dasher block. 22 

Davit. 30 

Davit guy. 30 

Davit Lever. 30 

Davy Jones’ Locker. 62 

Day’s Duty. 62 

Day’s Work. 62 

Dead ahead. 45 

Deaden the way. 62 

Deadeye. 21 

Dead light. 8 

Dead Reckoning. 62 

Dead rise. 6 

Dead rope. 15 

Dead Water. 62 

Dead Weight (capacity). 62 

Dead Wood. 6 ; 62 

Deck beam. 6 

Deck light. 8 

Deck stopper. 40 

Deck tackle. 22 

Deeps. 26 

Deep sea lead. 24 

Degree. 25 

Demurrage. 62 

Depth of Hold. 10 

Derelict. 4 

Destroyer. 1 

Devil’s Claw. 41 

Dewpoint. 50 

Diagonal built. 4 

Diamond Knot. 18 

Dinghy. 2 

Dip. 52 

Dip (colors). 62 

Dip Rope. 41 

Dismantle. 62 


Dismast. 

Displacement. 

Distance Signals. 

Distress Signal. 

Ditty-bag. 

Ditty-box. 

Docking Keel. 

Docking Plan. 

Dog’s Ear. 

Dog-vane. 

Dog Watch. 

Doldrums. 

Dory. 

Dot. 

Double-banked. 

Double block. 

Double bottom. 

Double carrick bend. 

Double up. 

Double Wall and crown. 

Double wall and double crown 

Double whip. 

Doubling. 

Douse. 

Downhaul. 

Draft. 

Drag. 

Dragging anchor. 

Drag Net. 

Drainage. 

Draw. 

Dredge. 

Dressing Lines. 

Dressing Ship. 

Drift. 

Drift lead. 

Drift net. 

Drive. 

Driver. 

Drop. 

Drop down. 

Dry Bulb Thermometer. 

Dug-out. 

Dumb compass. 

Dunnage. 


PAGE 
.. 62 
. . 10 
. . 44 
. . 44 
. . 8 
. . 8 
6 ; 56 
.. 56 
. . 62 
. . 47 
. . 62 
. . 49 
. . 2 
. . 53 
. . 34 
. . 21 
. . 5 
. . 17 
. . 15 
. . 18 
. . 18 
.. 22 
. . 62 
. . 35 
.. 31 
. . 62 
.. 62 
. . 42 
. . 46 
. . 11 
. . 35 


. . . 53 
49; 62 
...25 
. . . 46 
. . . 37 
. . . 33 
...35 
. . . 62 
. . . 47 
. . . 4 

. . . 24 
...63 


E 


Earing. 13 

Ease her. 37 

Ease in. 63 

Ease off. 63 

Ease out. 63 

Ease the rudder. 58 

Ease up. 63 

Easing-out line. 41 

Easy. 63 
















































































































76 


INDEX 


PAGE 


Eating to windward. 35 

Edge away. 37 

Elbow. 42 

Embark. 37 

End-for-end. 63 

End link. 39 

End on. 63 

Engine-room telegraph. 57 

Enlarged link. 39 

Ensign. 52 

Entrance. 10 

Euphroe. 63 

Even keel. 63 

Eyebolt. 8 

Eyelet holes. 63 

Eye seizing. 19 

Eye splice. 19 


F 


Fag. 53 

Fairway. 63 

Fair wind. 49 

Fake. 15 

Falling glass. 50 

Falling home. 37 

Falling off. 37 

False keel. 6; 27 

Fantail. 9 

Fathom. 26 

Feather. 34 

Feel the helm. 58 

Feel the way. 63 

Fender. 63 

Fender bar. 8 

Fender spar. 55 

Fend off. 63 

Fessenden oscillator. 25 

Fetch. 63 

Fibre Rope. 12 

Fiddle Block. 22 

Fidley. 8 

Field day. 63 

Fighting ship. 1 

Figure Head. 8 

Figure-of-eight. 16 

Fill away. 35 

Filling Pieces. 27 

Fine. 10 

Fire control. 63 

Fire Hose. 11 

Fire main. 11 

First Lieutenant. 63 

Fish. 42; 63 

Fish Block. 22 

Fish Davit. 41 

Fish Hook. 41 


Fish Tackle. 

Fisherman’s Bend. 

Flagstaff. 

Flank speed. 

Flare. 

Flare-up. 

Flaring. 

Flat. 

Flat calm. 

Flat seizing. 

Flatten in. 

Flaw. 

Fleet. 

Flemish down. 

Float. 

Floor. 

Floor Plate. 

Flotsam. 

Flow. 

Fluke. 

Flush Deck. 

Flushing Main. 

Flushing system. 

Fly. 

Flying Moor. 

Flying start. 

Fog bound. 

Fog Horn. 

Fog Signal. 

Foot. 

Foot-board. 

Footling (floor-board).. 

Foot rope. 

Forbes Log. 

Fore-and-aft. 

Forecast. 

Forecastle. 

Forecastle deck. 

Forefoot. 

Forelock Pin. 

Fore Peak. 

Fore reach. 

Fore sail. 

Fore staysail. 

Fore Topmast staysail. 

Forge ahead. 

Forward bow spring.. . 

Forward brow. 

Forward Platform. 

Forward quarter spring 
Forward waist spring.. 

Foul. 

Foul anchor. 

Foul Hawse. 

Founder. 

Four-fold Block. 

Fourth Deck. 


PAGE 

. . . 41 
. . . 18 
8; 29 
. . . 57 
... 63 
... 44 
... 37 
... 63 
... 49 
. . . 19 
. . . 35 
. . . 49 
. . . 15 
. . . 15 
. . . 55 
... 27 
.. . 6 
... 63 
...35 
. . . 40 
. . . 10 
. . . 11 
. . . 11 
. . . 52 
... 42 
...37 
... 50 
... 44 
. . . 45 
. . . 32 
... 29 
27; 29 
. . . 13 
. . . 25 
. . . 63 
. . . 50 
... 10 
. . . 5 

. . . 6 
. . . 39 
. . . 10 
. . . 35 
... 33 
... 33 
... 33 
... 63 
... 54 
. . . 55 
... 27 


. . . 63 
. . . 42 
. . . 42 
. . . 63 
21 ; 22 
... 5 



















































































































INDEX 


77 


Fox. 

PAGE 

Frame. 


Frap. 


Freeboard. 


Freeing Port. 


French bowline. 


Fresh breeze. 


Freshen the nip. . . 


Fresh gale. 


Fuel ship. 


Full due. 


Full rudder. 


Full speed. 


Full spread. 


Furl. 


Furling-line. 


G 


Gaff. 


Gaff Topsail. 


Gaff vang. 

. 30 

Gage. 


Gain the wind. 


Gale. 


Galley. 


Gallows. 


Gang-board. 


Gangway. 


Gangway ladder. 

. 8 

Gantline. 


Garboard strake. 

. 6 

Gasket. 


Gather-way. 


Gear. 

. 15 

Gentle Breeze. 

. 48 

Gig. 


Gilguy. 


Gimbals. 


Gin Block. 


Gingerly. 

. 63 

Girt. 


Girtline. 

. 13 

Give chase. 

. 63 

Give ’way. 

. 34 

Glass. 


Glory Hole. 

. 10 

Go about. 

. 35 

Go free. 

. 35 

Go large. 

. 35 

Goose-neck. 

. 32 

Grab rope. 

. 13 

Grafting. 

. 15 

Granny Knot. 

. 17 

Grapnel. 

. 39 

Grappling iron. 

. 39 

Grating. 

. 8 


PAGE 

Great guns. 49 

Green sea. 49 

Grip. 42 

Gripe-lashing. 29 

Gripes. 29 

Grommet.’ 13 

Gross Tonnage. 63 

Grounding. 63 

Ground swell. 49 

Ground Tackle. 63 

Gudgeons. 28; 57 

Guess Warp. 13 

Gunboat. 1 

Gun Deck. 5 

Gunport shutter. 8 

Gun-tackle Purchase. 22 

Gunwale. 27 

Guy. 13; 31 

Gybe. 35 

Gypsey. 41 

Gyro compass. 24 

H 

Hail. 63 

Half Deck. 5 

Half-mast. 53 

Half-rater. 3 

Half rudder. 58 

Halliards. 31 

Hamber-line. 12 

Hammock. 63 

Hammock cloth. 8 

Hammock nettings. 8 

Hand. 35 

Handhole. 10 

Handle. 64 

Hand lead. 25 

Hand over hand. 64 

Handrope. 13 

Handsomely. 58 

Hand-spike. 64 

Hand steering gear. 57 

Hand taut. 64 

Handy. 64 

Handy billy. 22; 64 

Hanging stage. 8 

Hank. 28 

Harbor Master. 64 

Hard-a-lee. 38 

Hard-a-weather. 38 

Hard down. 58 

Hard over. 58 

Hard up. 58 

Hatch. 6 

Haul. 64 


Hauled up. 64 















































































































78 


INDEX 


PAGE 

Hauling line. 13 

Hauling Part. 23 

Haul to windward. 35 

Hawse Block. 8 

Hawse buckler. 41 

Hawser. 12; 64 

Hawser-laid. 12 

Head. 10; 32 

Head Room. 64 

Head sails. 33 

Head sheets. 31 

Head to wind. 38 

Headway. 64 

Heave away. 64 

Heave down. 64 

Heave in. 42 

Heave ’round. 42; 64 

Heave short. 42 

Heave taut. 64 

Heave the lead. 26 

Heave the log. 26 

Heave to. 35 

Heaving line. 13 

Heel. 64 

Heel-and-toe. 64 

Helm. 58 

Hemp. 12 

Hermaphrodite brig. 3 

High. 50 

High-and-dry. 64 

Hogging Line. 13 

Hogged. 64 

Hoist. 52; 64 

Hoist away. 38 

Hoisting Pad. 28 

Hoisting Rod. 28 

Hoisting shackle. 28 

Hold. 5 

Hold water. 34 

Holiday. 64 

Holy stone. 64 

Home. 64 

Hood. 8 

Hook. 21 

Hook rope. 41 

Horns. 32 

Horse. 28 

Horse Latitudes. 49 

House. 64 

House line. 12 

Housing. 38 

Housing anchor. 43 

Housing chain stopper. 40 

Hug. 64 

Hulk. 4 

Hull board. 64 


Hull Book, 
Hull down 
Hurricane. 


Ice-blink. . . 
Ice-bound. . . 
Ice-lead. . . . 

Ice-nip. 

Inboard.... 

In bows. . . . 

In irons.... 

Inland Rules 
Inner bottom.. 
Inner jib. . . 

Inner Keel.. 

In sail. 

Inshore. 

In stays.... 
Intercardinal 
International Rules 
In the wind. . . 

Invoice. 

Irish Pennant 
Iron-bound. . 

Isobar. 

Isotherm. . . . 


Jack.... 
Jackass. 
Jackstaff 
Jackstay. 
Jacob’s Ladder 

Jam. 

Jaw rope. 

Jaws. 

Jetsam. 

Jettison. 

Jetty. 

Jews-harp. . . . 

Jib. 

Jib-boom. 

Jib Topsail. . . 

Jig. 

Jigger. 

Jolly boat. 

Jolly Roger. . . 

Jump. 

Jumper. 

Jump ship. . . . 
Jumper stay. . 

Junk. 

Jury anchor... 
Jury mast. . . . 
Jute^rope. 















































































































INDEX 


79 


PAGE 

K 


Keckling. 12 

Kedge. 39; 43 

Keel. 6; 27 

Keep away. 38 

Keel Block. 56 

Keel haul. 65 

Keelson. 6; 27 

Keep her full. 36 

Keep her off. 36 

Keep her so. 58 

Keep her up. 36 

Kenter shackle. 39 

Kentledge. 65 

Ketch. 3 

Kettle-bottomed. 10 

Key. 53 

Killock. 43 

Kink. 15 

Knee. 6 

Knocked down. 36 

Knock-off. 65 


L 


Labor. 

. 65 

Lacing. 

. 14; 32 

Ladder. 

. 30 

Laden in bulk. 

. 65 

Land breeze. 

. 49 

Land fall. 

. 65 

Land Ho!. 

. 65 

Land-locked. 

. 51 

Land lubber. 

. 65 

Landing strake. 

. 7 

Lanyard. 

. 14 

Large. 

. 36 

Lash (and carry). 

. 65 

Lateen. 

. 3 

Lay. 

. 15 

Lay aloft. 

. 65 

Lay day. 

. 65 

Lay on oars. 

. 34 

Lazarette. 

. 10 

Lazy-jack. 

. 31 

Leach. 

. 32 

Leaden. 

. 50 

Leading block. 

. 22 

Leading Part. 

. 23 

Lead line. 

. 14 

Leadsman. 

. 26 

League. 

. 65 

Lee-board. 

. 29 

Lee helm. 

. 58 

Lee shore. 

. 65 

Leeward. 

. 65 

Leeway. 



Left-handed_ 

Leg. 

Lend-a-hand. . . 

Let fall. 

Let her off. 

Let her ride. . . 

Let her up. 

Liberty party. . . 

Lie-to . 

Life boat. 

Life-line. 

Life raft. 

Light.. 

Light airs. 

Light breezes. . 
Light cruiser. . . 
Lighted buoy.. . 
Lightening hole 

Lighter. 

Limber hole... . 

Line fisher. 

Link. 

List. 

Lizard. 

Lofty. 

Log book. 

Log line. 

Long board 
Long-end link. . 
Longitudinal. . . 
Long splice 
Long tackle 

Lookout. 

Look up. 

Loom. 

Loose. 

Louvre. 

Low. 

Lower away.. . . 
Lubber’s Point. 

Luff. 

Luff-earing. 

Luff her. 

Luff tackle. 

Luff upon luff. . 

Lug. 

Lugger. 

Lurch. 

Lyle gun. 


PAGE 
...12 
. . . 65 
...65 
. . . 34 
. . . 36 
38; 65 
. . . 36 
...65 
...38 
. . . 2 
...30 
.. . 2 
. . . 65 
. . . 48 
. . . 48 
. . . 1 
. . . 45 
. . . 10 
. . . 4 

. . . 10 
. . . 46 
. . . 39 
. . . 65 
. . . 29 
...65 
...65 
. . . 14 
. . . 36 
. . . 40 
. . . 7 

. . . 19 
...22 
. . . 46 
. . . 65 
. . . 34 
.. . 36 
. . . 11 
. . . 50 
. . . 38 
. . . 25 
.. . 32 
. . . 32 
. . . 36 
...22 
. . . 22 
3; 66 
. . . 3 

... 66 
...52 


M 


Made. 66 

Magazine. 10 

Magazine Flooding System. 11 

Magnet. 24 

Magnetic Compass. 24 













































































































80 


INDEX 


PAGE 

PAGE 

Main drain . 11 

Mooring staple . 55 

Mooring swivel . 40 

Make colors . 66 

Morning Order Book . 66 

Make sunset . 66 

Make the course good . 66 

Morticed block . 21 

Mother Carey’s chicken . 66 








Motor sailer . 2 








Muffled oars . 34 





Mark . 26 

Marline . 12 

Marlinespike . 66 

N 




AiaVigauiv. ***.’.'**-’ Af\ 

Navigable semicircle . 

Masthead . 66 

Masthead light . 44 

Mast hole . 8 

TVAT a of Vinnn .... 28 

Navigator . 66 

Navy Standard Shackle . 40 

Neaped . 49 

Nean tide . 49 

1\^oof cfAfi .... 27 

Neptune . 66 

tv/t af . . . 66 


"R/Toffli otit WflllrAf TTtint 18 

Net tonnage . oo 

Matthew Walker Knot double . 19 

IV/TaoI 'Pennant .... 52 

Nicholson Log . 25 

Nieht Order Book . 66 

Meet her . 58 

iv/ronH . 36 

Nimbus . f' 

Nio . 16 

TWTnmiriol KflfntTIPtAf . . 47 

Nock . 66 

Meshes . 66 

M accpti crpr . 16 

No higher . 36; 58 

Metallic built . 4 

Metereological . 50 

Midchannel buoy . 45 

Middle a rope . 16 

MiIHpw 66 

Nothing off. ...I . 58 

Nothing to the (westward) . 58 

Not under command . 46 

Not under control . 46 

Nun buov . 45 

Mind your rudder. 58 

Mind your (right) rudder. 58 

Minelayer. 1 

o 

. 

iyimebwccpci. * 

lWTira (yp r}II 


TV/Tioo cifltrc 36 


TV/r % >7 t & fi .j cj 


MpHprafp Ilf PP7P 48 


JLVicmeraie uiccic. 

TUT a/I P 1 *of P nralp 48 

Off-and-on . 66 

lvioaeraie gaic. 

Moderate speed. 46 

Monitnf 

Officer-of-the-deck . 66 

Officer-of-the-Watch. 66 

TWTAnlrpxr nroff 8 

Offing . 66 

7VA" All OAAtl 48 

Off-the-wind . 36 

Mooring buoy. 45 

Old-fashioned anchor . 39 


/ 
















































































































INDEX 


PAGE 

One third speed. 57 

On soundings. 66 

On-the-wind. 36 

On the bow. 45 

On the beam. 45 

On the quarter. 45 

Open boat. 4; 46 

Open hawse. 43 

Ordinary (in). 67 

Orlop deck. 5 

Outboard. 67 

Outer keel. 7 

Out-foot. 36 

Outhaul. 31 

Outlying. 67 

Out oars. 34 

Out-point. 36 

Out-rigger. 28 

Out-of-trim. 38 

Overall. 67 

Overhand knot. 17 

Overhang. 7 

Overhaul. 23 

Overlap. 38 

Over-rigged. 38 

Over-sparred. 38 

Overtaken. 46 

Overtaking. 46 

P 

Painter. 14 

Palm. 40 

Palm and needle. 67 

Parbuckle. 16 

Parceling. 19 

Parliament heel. 67 

Parrel lashing. 32 

Part. 67 

Passage winds. 48 

Pass a line. 67 

Pass a stopper. 16 

Passenger list. 67 

Passport. 67 

Pass the word. 67 

Patent anchor. 39 

Patent block. 21 

Patent log. 25 

Patrol ship. 1 

Pawls. 43 

Pay. 67 

Pay off. 36; 67 

Pay out. 67 

Pea. 40 

Peak. 33 

Pelican hook. 40 

Pelorus. 24; 67 


81 


PAGE 

Pendant. 67 

Pendant tackle. 22 

Pennant. 52 

Perch. 45 

Picket boat. 2 

Pier-head leap. 67 

Pile. 55 

Pilot boat. 4 

Pilot rules. 46 

Pilot’s luff. 36 

Pin. 21 

Pinch her... 36 

Pintle. 28; 57 

Pipe down. 67 

Pipe the side. 67 

Pipe to ( ). 67 

Pitch. 67 

Plain sail. 36 

Planking. 7 

Plat. 16 

Platform deck. 5 

Play. 67 

Plimpsoll mark. 10 

Plug. 28 

Plume. 50 

Point. 16; 25; 45 

Pontoon. 4 

Poop deck. 5 

Pooped. 67 

Port. 7 

Portable. 67 

Port Captain. 67 

Port sill. 56 

Port tack. 36 

Pratique. 67 

Precipitation. 50 

Press of sail. 36 

Preventer. 14 

Preventer hawser. 42 

Pricker. 67 

Protected cruiser. 1 

Protective deck. 5 

Prolonged. 46 

Prow. 7 

Puddening. 68 

Pulling an oar. 34 

Punt. 2 

Put to sea. 68 

Q 

Quadrant. 57 

Quarantine. 68 

Quarantine buoy. 45 

Quarter. 45 

Quarter Bill. 68 

Quarter breast. 54k 















































































































82 


INDEX 


PAGE 

Quarter breast mooring. 55 

Quarter-deck. 5 

Quarter master. 68 

Quarter mooring. 55 

Quay. 68 

R 

Race. 68 

PAGE 

Rolling hitch. 18 

Rope-yarn. 12 

Rose lashing. 14 

Rotator. 25 

Round down. 68 

Round in. 68 

Round line. 12 

Round to. 68 

Round turn 43 

Rack. 14 ; 68 

Radio compass. 24 

Round turn and two half hitches.... 18 

Rouse in. . . 68 

Raise. 68 

Rowlock 28 

Rake. 68 

Rudder 28 

Rakish. 68 

Rudder amidships 

Range alongside. 68 

Range light. 44 

Range of cable. 43 

Rap full. 36 

Ratline. 14 

Rudder braces. 27 

Rudder cross-head. 57 

Rudder frame. 57 

Rudder hanger. 27 ; 57 

Rudder head 57 

Ratline-stuff. 12 

Rattle down. 16 

Rudder indicator. 58 

Rudder Dost na 

Reach. 36 

Rudder stock eo 

Ready about. 36 

Recognition signal. 45 

Rules of the road. 46 

Run. 10 

Recover. 34 

Run down 68 

Reef. 36 

Runner 22 

Reef-band. 33 

Runner and tackle 23 

Reef-cringle. 33 

Reef-earing. 33 

Running bowline. 17 

Running ('free') 3 a 

Reef-points. 33 

Reeve. 16 ; 23 

Running lights. 44 

Running rigging i a 

Reeving line bend. 17 

Run out. . . ab 

Registered tonnage. 68 

Registry. 68 

Relieving tackle. 22 

Relieving (watch). 68 

s 

Sag. ab 

Render. 16 ; 23 

Sail cover. 20 

Repair ship. 1 

Sail ho!. 46 

Revolution counter. 57 

Sailing free. 3 a 

Revolution telegraph. 57 

Revolving storm. 40 

Sailing launch. 2 

Sailing trim qa 

Rib. 7 

Salvage aq 

Ride. 68 

Sanitary system 

Ridge Pole. 8 

Scale. 68 

Riding light. 44 

Scandalize. . 37 

Right-handed. 12 

Schooner. .. 3 

Ring. 40 

Scope .. . 45 

Ring bolt. 28 ; 55 

Score. 21 

Ring stopper. 40 

Scout. 


Scout cruiser 


Scow.... 4 

Rising glass. 50 

Scraper 9 

Roach. 68 

Screened light 44 

Roadstead. 68 

Screw. ao 

Roaring Forties. 49 

Scud. 49 

Roband. 14 

Scudding. . . ja 

Rocket. 52 

Scull. 34 

















































































































INDEX 


83 


PAGE 

Scupper-lip. 9 

Scuttle. 68 

Scuttle-butt. 9 

Sea anchor. 51 

Sea-boat. 68 

Sea buoy. 45 

Seacock. 9 

Sea-going. 46 

Sea painter. 14; 30 

Seaplane. 2 

Seaplane carrier. 2 

Search light. 52 

Sea suction. 11 

Seasoned. 68 

Seaway. 68 

Second deck. 5 

Secondary drain. 11 

Secure. 68 

Seizing stuff. 14 

Selvagee. 14 

Semaphore. 52 

Send. 68 

Sennit. 12 

Serving. 19 

Serving board. 20 

Serving mallet. 20 

Set. 50 

Set taut. 38 

Settee. 3 

Set the course. 68 

Set the watch. 68 

Settle. 69 

Set sail. 37 

Shackle bolt. 40 

Shackle. 40 

Shaft-alley. 10 

Shake. 37 

Shake out. 37 

Shank. 40 

Shank painter. 41 

Shape. 45 

Shape a course. 69 

Sharpie. 3 

Shear off. 69 

Sheathed. 10 

Sheave. 21 

Sheepshank. 17 

Sheer pole. 9 

Sheer strake. 7 

Sheers. 69 

Sheet. 31; 39 

Sheet bend (becket bend). 17 

Sheet bend, double. 17 

Shell. 21 

Shell plating. 7 

Shellroom. 10 

Shift the rudder. 59 


PAGE 

Ship. 3; 69 

Ship control. 69 

Ship keeper. 69 

Shipping Articles. 69 

Shipshape. 69 

Shiver. 37 

Shod. 43 

Shoe. 43 

Shore up. 69 

Short board. 37 

Short-end link. 40 

Shorten sail. 37 

Short splice. 19 

Short stay. 43 

Shot. 40 

Shove off. 38; 69 

Show-a-leg. 69 

Shroud-laid. 13 

Shrouds. 31 

Shroud whip. 31 

Sick bay. 10 

Side bench. 27 

Side curtain. 29 

Side lights. 44 

Sight the anchor. 43 

Silt. 69 

Single-banked. 34 

Single block. 21 

Single carrick bend. 17 

Single Spanish burton. 23 

Single up. 16 

Single whip. 22 

Sing out. 69 

Siren. 9 

Sister block. 21 

Sister hooks. 69 

Skeg. 7 

Skids. 10 

Skin. 37 

Skylight. 9 

Slack. 16; 69 

Slack water. 50 

Slant of wind. 38 

Slew. 69 

Sliding gunter. 3 

Slip. 43; 69 

Slip hook. 30 

Slip rope. 14 

Slip stopper. 41 

Slings. 30 

Sloop. 3 

Slush. 69 

Smack. 3 

Small stuff. 12 

Smart. 69 

Smiting line. 14 

Snake. 16 





















































































































84 


INDEX 


PAGE 

Snatch block. 22 

Snorter. 31 

Snub. 69 

Snug down. 69 

Sounding machine. 25 

Sounding tube. 25 

Span. 30 

Spanish windlass. 69 

Spanker. 33 

Spanking. 49 

Spar buoy. 45 

Speak. 69 

Spectacle eye. 30 

Speed light. 44 

Spill. 37 

Spinnaker. 33 

Spit kit. 9 

Splinter deck. 5 

Spoke. 58 

Spoon drift. 50 

Spreader. 31 

Spring. 54; 69 

Spring stay. 31 

Spring tide. 50 

Sprit. 3; 32 

Sprung. 69 

Spun-yarn. 13 

Spur shore. 55 

Spur shore heel chain. 55 

Spur shore shoe. 55 

Spur shore truck. 55 

Spy glass. 9 

Squall. 48 

Square (reef) Knot. 17 

Square mark. 16 

Squilgee. 69 

Stagger. 69 

Stand. 50 

Stand by. 69 

Stand by the oars. 34 

Stand by to wear (gybe). 37 

Stanchion. 9 

Standard compass. 24 

Standard half rudder. 59 

Standard rudder. 59 

Standard speed. 57 

Standing part. 23 

Standing rigging. 15 

Starboard tack. 37 

Staunch. 69 

Stay. 31 

Staysail. 33 

Stay tackle. 23 

Steady. 59 

Steadying line. 38 

Steamer. 2 

Steam trawler. 46 


PAGE 

Steerage. 10 

Steerage-way. 57; 69 

Steering compass. 24 

Steering crutch. 28 

Steering gear. 58 

Steering light. 44 

Steering oar. 29 

Steering wheel. 58 

Stem. 7; 28; 39 

Step. 9 

Stern. 10; 39 

Stern all. 34 

Stern board. 27; 38; 69 

Stern chase. 69 

Stern chock. 55 

Stern fast (stern line). 14; 29 

Stern ladder. 9 

Stern light. 44 

Stern line. 54 

Stern post. 7; 28 

Stern sheets. 27 

Stevedore. 69 

Stiff. 70 

Stock. 40 

Stopper. 14 

Stopper Knot. 19 

Store room. 10 

Storm. 48 

Storm canvas. 37 

Storm track. . . 49 

Storm warning. 49 

Storm wave. 48 

Stove. 70 

Stow. 70 

Stowaway. 70 

Stowing anchor. 43 

Strake. 7 

Strand (ed). 13 

Strap. 14; 21 

Strato-cumulus. 47 

Stratus. 47 

Stream. 39; 43 

Stretchers. 29 

Stringer. 7 

Stroke. 34 

Strong back. 30 

Strong breeze. 48 

Strong gale. 48 

Strut. 7 

Studding sail halliard bend. 18 

Studding sail tack bend. 18 

Studs. 40 

Submarine. 2 

Submarine bell. 25 

Submarine signal. 26 

Supercargo. 70 

Superstructure deck. 5 





















































































































INDEX 


85 


PAGE 

Supply ship. 2 

Surge. 16 

Swab. 70 

Swamp. 70 

Swallow. 21 

Sway aloft. 70 

Swifter in. 16 

Swig off. 16; 70 

Swing ship. 70 

Swivel. 40 


T 


Tack. 

Tackline. 

Taffrail log. 

Tail block. 

Tail on. 

Take a turn. 

Take in. 

Tarpaulin. 

Taunt. 

Taut. 

Teeth. 

Telemotor. 

Tend. 

Tender. 

Thimble. 

Third deck. 

Thole-pin. 

Thorough foot. 

Thread. 

Three-fold purchase. 

Throat. 

Throat seizing. 

Thrum mat. 

Thrums. 

Thumb cleat. 

Thwart. 

Thwartships. 

Thwart stanchion. 

Tide-rip. 

Tide-way. 

Tier. 

Tiller. 

Tiller rope. 

Timber hitch. 

Timber hitch and half hitch 

Timonoguy. 

Toggle. 

To leeward. 

Tompion. 

Tongue. 

Tonnage. 

Top. 

Top hamper. 

Top heavy. 


33; 

31; 


43; 

21 ; 


33; 


29; 


10 ; 


37 

52 

25 

21 

23 

70 

37 

9 

70 

70 

49 
58 
70 
70 
70 

5 

29 

23 

13 

22 

40 

19 

56 

15 

70 

28 

70 

28 

50 
50 
43 
58 
58 
18 
18 

31 
70 
45 

9 

32 
70 
70 
70 
70 


PAGE 

Topmast. 32 

Topping lift. 15; 31 

Topping lift bridle. 31 

Topsail. 33 

Topsail halliard bend. 18 

Topsail schooner. 3 

Top sides. 70 

Torch. 52 

Torpedo boat. 2 

Toss oars. 34 

Touch. 37 

To windward. 45 

Towing light. 44 

Trades. 48 

Trail. 70 

Train. 2 

Transport. 2 

Traveller. 29 

Trawler. 46 

Treble-fold purchase. 21 

Trend. 40 

Trice. 70 

Tricing-line. 15 

Trick. 59 

Trim. 70 

Trip. 70 

Tripping line. 15 

Tropical hurricane. 48 

Trough. 50 

Truck. 32 

Tug boat. 4 

Tumble home. 11 

Turk’s head. 19 

Turn buckle. 20 

Turning buoy. 46 

Turn to. 70 

Turn turtle. 70 

Twice-laid. 13 

Two blocks. 23 

Two bowlines. 17 

Two-fold purchase. 22 

Two half hitches. 18 

Two thirds speed. 57 

Typhoon. 48 


u 


Unbalanced rudder. 58 

Unballast. 70 

Unbend. 71 

Unbitt. 43 

Under current. 50 

Under foot. 43 

Under-manned. 70 

Under-run. 70 

Under-the-lee. 70 

Undertow. 50; 70 
















































































































86 


INDEX 



PAGE 

Underway. 

. 46; 70 

Unfurl. 


Union. 


Unmoor. 


Unrig. 


Unship. 


Up-and-down. 


Up behind. 


Upper deck. 

. 5 

Up oars. 


Upper works. 


Uptake. 


V 


Vane. 


Vast. 


Veer. 


Veer and haul. 


Veil. 


Velocity of translation. 

. 49 

Ventilating system. 

. 11 

Ventilator. 


Ventilator cowl. 


Vertical Keel plate. 

. 7 

Very’s signals. 

. 45 

Viol block. 


Visible. 


w 


Waist. 


Waist breast. 


Wake. 


Wale shore. 

56 

Wales. 


Walk back. 


Wall and crown. 


Wall knot. 


Wall-sided. 


Wardroom. 


Warping chock. 


Washboard. 


Waste. 


W atch-and-watch. 

. 71 

Watch, ho! Watch!. 

. 26 

Watch officer. 


Watch tackle. 


Water-boat. 


Water breaker. 


Water-borne. 


Water’s edge. 


Waterline. 


Water-logged. 


Water-tight. 



PAGE 


Water-way. 9 

Way enough. 34 

Wear. 37 

Weather. 38 

Weather eye. 71 

Weather gauge. 37 

Weather helm.. 59 

Weather tide. 49 

Weigh. 43 

Well!. 71 

Well deck. 11 

Westerlies. 48 

Wet bulb thermometer. 47 

Whale back. 4 

Whaleboat. 2 

Wheelrope. 58 

Whelps. 71 

Wherry. 3 

Whip. 22 

Whip and runner. 22 

Whipping. 19 

Whiskers.*. 31 

Whistling buoy. 46 

White cap. 50 

Whole gale. 48 

Wide berth. 71 

Wig-wag. 52 

Wildcat. 42 

Winch. 42 

Wind. 71 

Wind-bound. 49 

Windlass. 42 

Windsail. 9 

Windward. 71 

Wing and wing. 37 

Wire rope clips. 20 

Worming. 20 

Work. 71 

Work to windward. 71 

Work up. 37 

Wreck buoy. 46 

Wring. 71 

Y 

Yacht. 4 

Yard. 32 

Yard-arm blinker. 52 

Yardarm to yardarm. 71 

Yard slings. 32 

Yarns. 13 







































































































Van Nostrand's Nautical Manuals 


850 Pages x 8^ 199 Full Page Plates 12 Color Plates Postpaid $7.00 

j Eighth Edition , Revised and Enlarged 

MODERN SEAMANSHIP 

By ADMIRAL AUSTIN M. KNIGHT, U. S. N. 


427 Pages 5% x 7% 5 Folding Plates 150 Illustrations Postpaid $3.00 

Third Edition—Revised and Enlarged 

Handbook for the Care and Operation of Naval Machinery 

By COMM. H. C. DINGER, U. S. Navy 


250 Pages 5*4 x 7% Illustrated Postpaid $4.00 

HANDBOOK FOR NAVAL OFFICERS 

An Aid to Examinations for Promotion 
By COMMANDER FREDERICK V. McNAIR, U. S. N. 


200 Pages 5Jx7f Illustrated Postpaid $3.00 

MODERN MARINE ENGINEERING 
Part I—The Fire Room 

By H. G. CISIN 


339 Pages 5% x 7 % Postpaid $3.00 

THE MEN ON DECK 

Master, Mates and Crew—Their Duties and Responsibilities 

A Manual for the American Merchant Marine 
By FELIX RIESENBERG 

Master Mariner (Sail and Steam,), Lieutenant Commander, U. S. N. R. 








Van Nostrand's Nautical Manuals 


214 Pages 5%x7% Illustrated Postpaid $2.00 

Second Edition—Revised and Enlarged 

The Whys and Wherefores of Navigation 

By GERSHOM BRADFORD 
Late Nautical Expert Hydrographic Office, U. S. N. 


190 Pages 5%x7% Illustrated Postpaid $2.00 



Second Edition, Corrected 

NAVIGATING THE SHIP 

A series of lessons in elementary navigation 

By LIEUT. ERNEST G‘. DRAPER U.S.N.R.F. 

350 Pages 

120 Illustrations 5}x7f Postpaid $3.00 

Second Edition Revised and Enlarged 

A Handbook of Practical Shipbuilding 


By J. D. MacBRIDE 

Formerly Superintendent in Hull Construction, Hog Island Shipyards 


144 Pages 

5*4x7% Hlustrated Postpaid $2.00 

Second Edition—Revised and Enlarged 

MARINE GAS ENGINES 

Their Construction and Management 

By CARL H. CLARK, S.B. 


275 Pages 5% x 7% Illustrated Postpaid 2.50 

Cold Storage, Heating and Ventilating on Board Ship 

By S. F. WALKER 










Van Nostrand's Nautical Manuals 


270 Pages 5% x 7% Illustrated Postpaid $3.00 

NAVIGATION AND NAUTICAL ASTRONOMY 

By Prof. J. H. C. COFFIN, Late of U. S. Nautical Academy 
New Edition—Revised and brought up to date 
By ELMER C. COLLINS 
Nautical Expert, Hydrographic Office, U. S. N. 


846 Pages 5| x 8J 136 Illustrations $5.00 

Eighteenth Edition Revised and Enlarged 

WRINKLES IN PRACTICAL NAVIGATION 

By CAPT. S. T. S. LECKY 


I 

950 Pages 5^x8^ Illustrated Postpaid $7.50 “ 

Standard Seamanship For the Merchant Service 

By FELIX RIESENBERG 


About 250 Pages 5£x7f Illustrated 

A GLOSSARY OF 


NAVIGATION AND SEA TERMS 

By GERSHOM BRADFORD 


In Press 


D. VAN NOSTRAND COMPANY 

HEADQUARTERS SINCE 1860 FOR 
MILITARY AND NAVAL BOOKS 

NEW YORK 


8 WARREN STREET 







The Literature of Naval 
and Marine Science 


On our shelves is the most complete stock of 
technical, industrial, engineering and scientific 
books in the United States. The technical liter¬ 
ature of every branch of naval architecture, 
construction, ordnance, marine engineering, sea¬ 
manship and navigation is well represented, as 
well as are the various other related subjects. 

A large number of these we publish and for an 
ever increasing number we are the sole agents. 



All our Inquiries are Cheerfully and Carefully 
Answered and Complete Catalogs as well as 
Special Lists are Sent Free on Request. :: 


D. VAN NOSTRAND COMPANY 

Publishers and % Booksellers 

8 WARREN STREET NEW YORK 




































































V 1 
















. 






























































































































































































































































































































































































































































